World Post Day is celebrated October 9th on the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland.
This year, postal workers all around the world have been working nonstop during the pandemic. We want to take a moment to say thank you. In the United States, our postal workers are working even harder as many people have registered to vote by mail in the upcoming presidential election. This week is also National Voter Education Week. If you are eligible to vote in the United States, please do!
Van Gogh painted six portraits of his close friend, Joseph Roulin, a postal worker in the railroad station in Arles, France. In 1888, van Gogh moved to Arles with the hope for creating an artists’ colony, which never came to fruition.
Van Gogh, becoming lonely and isolated, befriended Joseph Roulin and his family and painted many portraits of them. Van Gogh also wrote many letters to his brother Theo in Paris. No doubt, Van Gogh appreciated Roulin’s work with the postal service
In these portraits, Roulin is depicted wearing his blue postal uniform against bright floral backgrounds.
1.
Portrait of Joseph Roulin
Gogh, Vincent van, 1853-1890, Dutch [artist]
Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 21 1/2"
Dutch
1889
Repository: Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, United States
HOLLIS number: olvwork201817
2.
Postman Joseph Roulin
Gogh, Vincent van, 1853-1890, Dutch [artist]
Oil on canvas
65 x 54 cm.
1889
Repository: Rijksmuseum Kroller-Muller, Otterlo, Netherlands
HOLLIS number: olvwork201814
