La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930)
1889
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
36 1/2 × 29 in. (92.7 × 73.7 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1996, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002
Accession Number
1996.435
Tags
Art Historical Context
**La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle)**, painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889, captures a tender portrait of Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, wife of the artist's friend Joseph Roulin, the postmaster of Arles. Created during Van Gogh's tumultuous period in the Saint-Rémy asylum, this oil on canvas exemplifies his Post-Impressionist style, with bold, swirling brushstrokes and vibrant colors that convey deep emotional resonance. The 36½ × 29-inch work draws the viewer into a intimate domestic scene, blending portraiture with symbolic elements like flowers, evoking comfort and quiet strength amid ...
About the Artist
Vincent van Gogh · 1853–1890
Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890) stands as one of the most influential figures in Western art history, despite a career spanning merely a decade. Born in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands, to a Protestant pastor's family, van Gogh's path to artistic greatness was anything but conventional. His early adulthood saw him working as an art dealer for Goupil & Cie, a language teacher, and a fervent missiona...