Vincent van Gogh once wrote, “What I’m most passionate about…is the portrait, the modern portrait.” This passion flourished between 1888 and ’89 when, during his stay in Arles, the artist created a number of portraits of a neighboring family—the postman Joseph Roulin, his wife, Augustine, and their three children. Van Gogh’s tender relationship with the postman and his family, and his groundbreaking portrayals of them, are at the heart of “Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits,” which is the first exhibition dedicated to the Roulin portraits and the deep bonds of friendship between the artist and this family.
Hear Lydia Vagts, paintings conservator, and Richard Newman, head of Scientific Research, discuss new details they uncovered about Van Gogh’s process and techniques, and explore two of the MFA’s most popular works in a new light.
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Wednesday, April 30, 2025