[A sign at the entrance of the exhibit. Photo Credit: Yujun Lee]

The special art exhibit “Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits” is taking place at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Opened for member preview on March 26, 2025, and for the general public on March 30, 2025, the special exhibition is planned to run for five months until September 7, 2025.

This special exhibit focuses on a group of paintings known as “The Roulin Family,” a portrait series Vincent van Gogh created of his neighbor’s family while living in Arles, France.

The Roulins consisted of Joseph, the father; Augustine, the mother; and their three children: Armand, Camille, and Marcelle.

Among the twenty-six artworks in the series, twenty-three are on display at this exhibition.

Along with the most notable work in the series, “Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin” (1888), and “Lullaby: Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse)” (1889), which were already owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this exhibition was made possible through artwork loans from several museums such as the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

Not only does the exhibit cover the artworks, it also explores Van Gogh’s personal stories and interactions emerging from his relationship with the Roulin family.

Although the exact motive for him moving to Arles is unknown, “the slower pace of life and lower cost of living in southern France were likely appealing, as were the brighter sunlight and warmer weather.”

Letters exchanged between Van Gogh and Joseph Roulin are on display, including those sent before and after the incident in which Van Gogh cut off part of his ear.

Even though Roulin’s wife was not happy with Van Gogh’s relationship with her husband, the Roulin family kept in touch with Van Gogh until his death.

During his time in Arles from 1888 to 1889, one of the things Van Gogh dreamed of was forming a communal studio where artists could bond together. 

To pursue this vision, he rented a house which he later named the Yellow House, a famous residence where Van Gogh spent time with Paul Gauguin.

The exhibit also features artists and artworks that inspired Van Gogh’s painting styles, as well as documenting Van Gogh’s encounter with Paul Gauguin, whom he met during his time in Arles.

Some of the works that inspired him came from the Netherlands and France, and some are even from the art of Japan of the era, where Van Gogh drew inspiration regarding the background color and composition.

Although Van Gogh’s painting career was relatively short, lasting from 1880 to 1890, he expressed a strong desire to create portraits that “would look like apparitions to people a century later.”

The Roulin Family series captures that vision, offering an intimate look into Van Gogh’s emotional world during his final years.

The exhibit is free for members, $34 for adults, $17 for youths aged 7-17, and free for children under 7.