Madame Roulin Rocking the Cradle (La berceuse)

Van Gogh saw in Augustine Roulin—along with her husband, Joseph, and their children—a model of love and family life. He completed this work in 1889, soon after returning from his stay in the hospital following Paul Gauguin’s fraught departure. Madame Roulin sits in Gauguin’s chair, an attempt by Van Gogh to fill the space left by the older artist. In May 1889, Van Gogh gave this canvas to Gauguin as a gesture of reconciliation and friendship.