Portrait of Joseph Roulin, 1898, Grafika 1000 pieces

Post-impressionist oil painting portrait of Joseph Roulin, a postman with a large beard, against a floral background.

This artwork features a post-impressionist portrait of a bearded man, known as the postman Joseph Roulin, set against a vibrant, decorative background. The man occupies the center of the frame, facing forward with a steady, gentle expression. He wears a dark blue uniform cap with the word "POSTES" printed in gold lettering across the front, matching his deep blue coat which features prominent gold buttons.

His face and iconic, voluminous beard are rendered in warm, rich tones of yellow, ochre, and brown, with visible, textured brushstrokes characteristic of the post-impressionist style. The background is a stark contrast, consisting of a lively, flat green field decorated with scattered, stylized wildflowers including white daisies and red poppies. The composition is balanced and symmetrical, focusing entirely on the subject’s visage.

The colour palette is dominated by the striking opposition between the cool, deep blue of the uniform and the bright, earthy yellows of the subject's beard and face. These tones are punctuated by the fresh greens and bright white and red floral accents in the background. The style is heavily textured, emphasizing expressive, thick paint application that creates movement throughout the image, lending an emotive and timeless quality to the portrait.

Portrait of a bearded man in a blue postal uniform against a floral green background.

This painting depicts a frontal portrait of a middle-aged man with a prominent, bushy beard. He wears a dark blue service cap with the word "POSTES" printed in gold across the front. His expression is steady and direct, with light-colored, focused eyes looking toward the viewer. The man’s face and beard are rendered in textured, golden-yellow brushstrokes, creating a stark contrast against his deep blue uniform jacket, which is accented with two simple, round, yellow-orange buttons.

The background is a vibrant, textured field of bright green, filled with a decorative scattering of various flowers. Daisies, red poppies, and blue cornflowers are interspersed around the subject's head and shoulders, arranged in a way that suggests a stylized floral wallpaper or a field viewed from a close perspective. The stems and petals are painted with loose, expressive strokes, adding a sense of organic movement.

The style of the image is defined by heavy, visible impasto brushwork, a characteristic technique that gives the surface a tactile, three-dimensional quality. The color palette is dominated by the intense contrast between the warm golden tones of the subject's beard and face, the cool, saturated blue of his uniform, and the lively, verdant green of the floral backdrop. The mood is intimate yet formal, with the flat, decorative composition focusing entirely on the dignified presence of the subject.