If you are a fan of van Gogh’s work, you would know this painting.
It is the second “Armand Roulin” portrait out of three, painted by van Gogh when he was residing in Arles, South of France, in 1888.
Armand Roulin was the eldest son of a postal clerk, Joseph Roulin, born on 5 May 1871. The Roulin family was a supporting friend of Van Gogh and they became the subjects on many of his portraits. Armand was 17 years of age when portrayed by Van Gogh.
If you think this persona looks familiar to you, that may be because you might have seen Armand Roulin (look-alike actor) in “Loving Vincent”. It is a 2017 painted animation feature film based on the life of Vincent van Gogh, particularly about the circumstances of his death. Specifically, it follows the journey of Armand Roulin when asked by his father to deliver Van Gogh’s last letter to his brother, Theo, in Paris. Upon his arrival, Armand was told that Theo actually died six months after Vincent. He was drawn into Vincent’s life and the mystery of his death, so he set out to find the truth.
The critically acclaimed film employed a team of over 100 oil painters trained to paint like van Gogh and used 65,000 oil-painted frames to animate the entire film. It was a visually intense and mesmerizing movie to watch! I liked it.
Anyways, back to the painting …
Portrait of Armand Roulin is part of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s permanent collection and it is on display in Room i.
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is located at Museumpark in Rotterdam. The museum is currently in transition, undergoing refurbishment and modernization which is expected to take seven years. It is still open for visitors till 27 May 2019. One of the great museums in Rotterdam!
*One famous Portrait of Armand Roulin, 1888, is located at Museum Folkwang in Essen, while the last titled Young Man with a Cap (Armand Roulin), 1888 is a private collection piece in Switzerland.
Website: https://www.boijmans.nl/en
Address: Museumpark 18-20. 3015CX ROTTERDAM.
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday from 11am -5pm. Closed on Mondays.
Entrance Fees: €17.50 for adults. Free for all under 18 years old. Free entry for Museumkaart holders.
Getting There: About 15-min walk from Rotterdam Central station. Check https://9292.nl/en if you are using public transportation.
I Becoming Dutch 