against a light blue, rather undifFerentiated backdrop, the
sitter conveys much more of the Socratic impression
made by Roulin on van Gogh than the larger version.^2 It
is certain that the painting in Detroit had been completed
by August 3 because on that day van Gogh sent this
drawing based upon it to his friend the painter John Rus-
sell.^3 This sheet is one of a dozen drawings after his own
paintings that van Gogh dispatched to Russell, himself
an Impressionist painter and friend of several of the lead-
ing French artists of his time.
As has often been noted (Pickvance 1984, no. 89),
the Museum's drawing differs in a number of respects
from the painting in Detroit. In the former the face has
been brought much nearer to the viewer, the number of
buttons has been reduced to one, the lapels of the coat
have been altered, and the background has been made
into an elaborate web of horizontal and vertical lines.
These changes create an effect that is more concentrated
and intense, as well as more animated. Equally, Roulin's
expressive character has been altered to appear more en-
gaged and emotive. The emotional complexity results
from the more elaborate visual presentation of the face,
which has been rendered with richly diverse planes and
facets.
The means by which all of this was achieved are no
less complex than the result. Van Gogh began by making
an under-drawing in black chalk (rarely noted in the lit-
erature), the remains of which are clearly visible in the
area around the eyes and forehead. Over this he drew
with both quill and reed pens, which enabled him to em-
ploy widely diverse lines ranging from the thin quill
strokes of the background and detailing of the face to the
broad reed lines of the hat, cloak, beard, and left side of
the head. He also used pointillist dots on one cheek, add-
ing to the variety of technique. The centralized focus of
the image, so well achieved in the cloak, contrasts with
the sharp differentiation established between the two
sides of the face, adding a further dimension to the ex-
pressive complexity of this powerful image.
- The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh (London and New
York, 1958), vols. 2, pp. 623-625 (Letters 516, 517); 3 , pp. 1-3
(Letter 518).
- Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 623-625 (Letters 516, 517).
- Ibid., p. 625 (Letter 517).
VAN GOGH • DUTCH SCHOOL 239
