Vincent van Gogh - La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin), 1889. Oil on canvas  From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC: Of the five versions of Van Gogh’s portrait of Augustine Roulin, wife of his friend the postmaster of Arles, the present canvas is the one the sitter chose for herself. Van Gogh remarked that “she had a good eye and took the best.” He began the portraits just before his breakdown in Arles, in December 1888, and completed them in early 1889. As he worked on the successive versions, the composition (which he titled “La Berceuse,” meaning “lullaby, or woman who rocks the cradle,” indicated by the rope the sitter holds) took on added meaning. As he revealed in his letters, the maternal image became the locus of literary and symbolic associations, ranging from the writings of Dutch and French novelists to the consoling music of Berlioz and Wagner. Van Gogh envisioned “La Berceuse” as the center of a triptych, flanked by “Sunflowers,” like candelabra.
Pop-upView Separately

Vincent van Gogh - La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin), 1889. Oil on canvas 

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC:

Of the five versions of Van Gogh’s portrait of Augustine Roulin, wife of his friend the postmaster of Arles, the present canvas is the one the sitter chose for herself. Van Gogh remarked that “she had a good eye and took the best.” He began the portraits just before his breakdown in Arles, in December 1888, and completed them in early 1889. As he worked on the successive versions, the composition (which he titled “La Berceuse,” meaning “lullaby, or woman who rocks the cradle,” indicated by the rope the sitter holds) took on added meaning. As he revealed in his letters, the maternal image became the locus of literary and symbolic associations, ranging from the writings of Dutch and French novelists to the consoling music of Berlioz and Wagner. Van Gogh envisioned “La Berceuse” as the center of a triptych, flanked by “Sunflowers,” like candelabra.

Source: fckyeaharthistory

75 Notes/ Hide

  1. blaubamse reblogged this from artpedia
  2. wthruw8ing4 reblogged this from artpedia
  3. waves0fthought reblogged this from syntaxsymphony
  4. syntaxsymphony reblogged this from artasweapon
  5. beeaaatrizz reblogged this from artpedia and added:
    “He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion...
  6. desperatists reblogged this from artpedia
  7. slapyourpappy reblogged this from deadniggastorage
  8. expanderset reblogged this from miguelolvera
  9. electricjunk reblogged this from artpedia
  10. pmikos reblogged this from gh2u
  11. artasweapon reblogged this from artpedia
  12. strawberryskins reblogged this from gh2u
  13. deadniggastorage reblogged this from gh2u
  14. gh2u reblogged this from miguelolvera
  15. miguelolvera reblogged this from artpedia
  16. thewreckageofmen reblogged this from artpedia and added:
    my wall and now feel like I should put Sunflowers next to it, instead of...her husband, as...
  17. color-reporter reblogged this from artpedia
  18. fwzz reblogged this from nocttis
  19. holyghosts reblogged this from artpedia
  20. hairless-heart reblogged this from artpedia
  21. nocttis reblogged this from artpedia
  22. aestheticsamongstotherthings reblogged this from artpedia
  23. anitacaroline reblogged this from artpedia
  24. cassatts reblogged this from artpedia
  25. third-star-till-the-morning reblogged this from oliveoilandsprinkles