Madame Roulin Rocking the Cradle (La Berceuse) - Vincent van Gogh
Archival giclée
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Description
A portrait of Augustine Roulin by Vincent van Gogh, featuring bold colours and a decorative floral background.
Painted in Arles in 1889, this work depicts Augustine Roulin, the wife of the local postman Joseph Roulin. Van Gogh produced several versions of this subject, often referring to the series as La Berceuse, which translates to the lullaby. The artist intended for these portraits to provide comfort, imagining them hung in the cabin of a ship to soothe sailors during long voyages.
Augustine is shown seated in a wooden chair, her hands resting on a rope that would have been used to rock a cradle just out of the frame. Her expression is calm, and her posture is steady. The composition is dominated by a bold, decorative background featuring large, stylised floral motifs in white and yellow against a textured green field. This choice of backdrop creates a flattened, almost graphic effect that contrasts with the solid, sculptural presence of the figure.
Van Gogh employs his characteristic application of paint, using visible, rhythmic brushstrokes to define the contours of the clothing and the features of the face. The colour palette is deliberate, balancing the deep greens of the dress and background with the warm, golden tones of the skin and hair, all set against a striking red floor. The work demonstrates the artist's interest in colour theory and his move away from strict naturalism toward a more expressive, symbolic use of paint. By combining the domestic subject with a highly decorative, almost hypnotic background, Van Gogh creates a scene that feels both grounded in reality and dreamlike in its intensity. This print captures the specific texture of the original oil paint, allowing for a close examination of the artist's technique and his approach to portraiture during his time in the south of France.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Madame Roulin Rocking the Cradle (La Berceuse) - Vincent van Gogh
Artist Biography
Vincent Van Gogh
He taught himself to draw by copying prints and working through textbooks. His brother Theo, an art dealer in Paris, sent money every month for the rest of Vincent's life. Without Theo there are no paintings. The letters between them, over 600, are one of the most complete records of any artist's thinking. Van Gogh wrote about colour theory, composition, what he ate, what he read, how much he spent on paint. He was articulate and well-read and not, despite the popular version, simply mad.
He moved to Paris in 1886 and encountered Impressionism. The palette changed immediately: from the dark browns of his Dutch period to the colours people actually associate with his work. He met Gauguin, Pissarro, Signac, Toulouse-Lautrec. He absorbed Pointillism and Japanese prints. Then he moved to Arles in the south of France, where the light was better and people were fewer.
The Arles period produced Sunflowers, The Bedroom, Starry Night Over the Rhone. The breakdown followed: the argument with Gauguin, the severed ear (he cut part of his left ear, not the whole thing), the asylum at Saint-Remy, and then Auvers-sur-Oise, where he painted seventy canvases in seventy days before dying from a gunshot wound at thirty-seven. He sold one painting during his lifetime, or possibly two. Theo died six months later.
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