Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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When Vincent van Gogh was new to Arles, France, he met the postman Joseph Roulin and was struck by his fiery personality. In this two-minute video, Katie Hanson, William and Ann Elfers Curator of Paintings, Art of Europe, reveals the momentous occasion that took place on the very first day Roulin posed for Van Gogh and how that characterized his portrait.

See the exhibition at MFA Boston: mfa.org/video/meet-vincent