Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

In the summer of 1888, Van Gogh befriended Joseph Roulin, a postman working at the train station in Arles, southern France. Joseph was married to Augustine, and together they had three children: Armand (17), Camille (11), and their baby daughter Marcelle. Through his close bond with the Roulin family, Van Gogh found inspiration and the opportunity to fulfil his ambitions as a portrait painter. He created numerous portraits of the Roulins, many of which are now displayed together for the first time at the Van Gogh Museum. In this groundbreaking exhibition, these remarkable portraits are reunited for the very first time.

We have created an intimate yet spacious ‘family circle’, immersed in a sea of blues and yellows. The striking portraits face one another, offering glimpses through to 17th-century works by Rembrandt and Hals—artists who inspired Van Gogh in his lifelong exploration of portrait painting.

In collaboration with: team Van Gogh Museum, studiosap (graphic design), Irisbouw, Fiction Factory, PPS, Riwicoll and Watjeziet (realization), Sindy Buissink (props), photography: Mike Bink, Luuk Kramer

2025