Worn down by his activities in Paris, in February 1888, Van Gogh leaves for Provence in the south of France: "It seems to me almost impossible to be able to work in Paris." Still hoping to establish an artists' cooperative, he rents a studio in Arles, the "Yellow House" from 1 May 1888.

In May 1888, Van Gogh rented four rooms on the right-hand side of a house on the Place Lamartine in Arles. His living quarters were the ones with the green shutters. His bedroom lay beyond. Vincent had finally found a place where he could not only paint but also welcome his friends.

The Décoration for the Yellow House was the main project Vincent van Gogh focused on in Arles, from August 1888 till his breakdown the day before Christmas. This Décoration had no pre-defined form or size; the central idea of the Décoration grew step by step, with the progress of his work. Starting with the Sunflowers, portraits were included in the next step. See full article on Wikipedia.

In December 1888 Van Gogh painted a portrait of Madame Roulin. He called the work La Berceuse: ‘lullaby’ or ‘woman rocking an infant.’ Augustine Roulin, who holds the cord to her baby’s cradle, is also intended as an emblem of motherhood in general.

Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo: "You must know, too, that if you put them in this order: that is, the Berceuse in the middle and the two canvases of the sunflowers to the right and the left, this forms a sort of triptych."

The Sunflowers in the Van Gogh Museum collection.