In the context of The Roulin Family, analyze the Armand of the Background.
Armand Roulin, the eldest son, was born on 5 May 1871 in Lambesc, and died on 14 November 1945.  He was 17 years of age when portrayed by Van Gogh.
Van Gogh's works depict a serious young man who at the time the paintings were made had left his parents' home, working as a blacksmith's apprentice.  The Museum Folkwang work depicts Armand in what are likely his best clothes: an elegant fedora, vivid yellow coat, black waistcoat and tie.  Armand's manner seems a bit sad, or perhaps bored by sitting.  His figure fills the picture plane giving the impression that he is a confident, masculine young man.The second work, with his body slightly turned aside and his eyes looking down, appears to be a sad young man. Even the angle of the hat seems to indicate sadness. Both museum paintings were made on large canvas, 65 x 54 cm.Loving Vincent, a movie based on the life of Vincent van Gogh, features Armand Roulin as the main character. In it, Roulin's asked by his father, Joseph, to deliver a letter to Vincent's brother, Theo van Gogh. The critically acclaimed film employed oil painters trained to paint like van Gogh. Their paintings were used in each frame of the movie, using stills of van Gogh's real paintings and basing Armand Roulin's character design on another of van Gogh's paintings. Many of van Gogh's portraits, like Portrait of Armand Roulin (1888), provided designs for the movie's characters.
Theo Museum Folkwang Loving Vincent Theo van Gogh Vincent van Gogh Lambesc