But there were a few people willing to sit for him, including postman Joseph Roulin
VIt's well known that Van Gogh often painted self-portraits because he couldn't afford to pay models
He worked for the postal service in Arles and became a close friend of Vincent's as the artist struggled with his mental health
In a letter Vincent described Joseph as:
"a man who is not bitter, not melancholy, not perfect, not happy, and also not always perfectly honest, but such a good fellow, so wise, so feeling and so faithful."
Vincent painted a series of portraits for Joseph featuring the postman himself, and even his wife and kids
Van Gogh would go on to paint more than 20 portraits for the family
Joseph was a true ally and friend to Vincent when he needed it most, and the integrity of their friendship is evident in Vincent's portraits of the postman.