![]() How can we better position and acknowledge friend- ship as integral to the moral fabric of society, and a nidus for fostering empathy and compassion at the most intimate scale? Now, more than ever, it is essential to value and uplift the bonds that sustain us. In this way, friendship is portrayed as indispensable to our individual well-be- ing and to a democratic society-it can move through adversity and expand communities, cross class and racial divisions, contest hate and segregation, and provide an alternate form of kinship and solidarity. The Postman is, at its core, a representation of a caring relationship, a model for caregiving and caring for others. “We continue to know our friend, even when they are no longer present to look back at us,” Derrida wrote. This portrait survives both Roulin and van Gogh-a tribute to their amity. It is also an intimate arrangement and investment, inherently bound by ethical obligations in a lifelong friendship, one will likely bury the other. As philosopher Jacques Derrida posited, friendship is transformative to identity and a vehicle for human flourishing. That van Gogh painted such a dignified and honorary portrait of an ordinary working class man-in his uniform, no less-affirms the elevated role that Roulin occupied for the artist. Van Gogh asks us to gaze with duration and tenderness at his friend, and at friendship itself. But such a good fellow, so wise, so feeling and so faithful.” van Gogh came to idealize Roulin’s kind nature in letters to Theo, describing him as “a man who is not bitter, not melancholy, not perfect, not happy, and also not always perfectly honest. It was Roulin who remained a constant and provided solace to van Gogh in the aftermath, including visiting him in the asylum. Their friendship deepened following an alter- cation with artist Paul Gaugin in 1888, which prompted van Gogh to slice off part of his ear in a manic episode. As Martha Lucy, Deputy Director of the Barnes Foundation explained,“In the palpable energy and nurturing spirituality emitted by the sitter, we recognize the connection between this man and the artist depicting him.” Slightly raised eyebrows convey a gentle inquisitiveness. van Gogh accentu- ates Roulin’s distinctive facial features with great care-the ruddiness of his nose and cheeks, the slight irregularity of one drooping eyelid, his lopsided nares. ![]() A floral design explodes in the background. Thick lines of green, bright blues, and lavender swirl around one another, each stroke distinct and unblended. Unusual hues and color choices unify the composition-the acidic green of the background that unexpectedly appears in Roulin’s mustache and beard, for example. In what van Gogh described in a letter to his brother Theo as a “modern portrait,” he portrayed Roulin through the vivid independent life of color. Roulin is squarely centered in this decorative composition, shown from shoulders up, his gaze meeting the viewer. In each of Roulin’s six portraits, he is shown wearing his dark blue postal uniform and cap, emblazoned with the word Postes.This intentional declaration likely reflected Roulin’s political beliefs and signaled that portraiture was no longer reserved for aristocracy. In his absence, van Gogh seems to have exalted Roulin as a paternal sage of sorts. The Postman may have been created from memory after Roulin and his family moved from Arles to a nearby town. ![]() The two men quickly forged a close friendship over shared political ideals. One of his few reprieves was found in a postmaster by the name of Joseph-Étienne Roulin, an ardent socialist and devoted husband and father to his wife and three children. During these emotionally turbu- lent two years before his death, the artist strug- gled with poverty, mental illness, and eviction threats from fellow Arles residents. When Vincent van Gogh moved from Paris to Arles in 1888, he likely did not anticipate the extent of isolation and loneliness this relocation would incur. A faithful friend is the medicine of life. A faithful friend is a strong defence, and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure. ![]()
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