Portrait of Doctor Gachet Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Description of Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of Doctor Gachet

Vincent Van Gogh the famous painter from a small village in Belgium created his masterpieces in the directions of Post-Impressionism. The desire to depict with paints not the outer shell, but the inner world with an order of decorative stylization. We can say that Van Gogh did not immediately become a creator of paintings, as he considered the theory too far from the ideal. The painting Portrait of Doctor Gachet was created in 1890, shortly before the painter’s death.

The story of this painting includes the reality of the artist’s life. Paul--Ferdinand Gachet was Van Gogh’s personal physician and cared for him until his last breath. Vincent initially had a negative attitude toward the doctor, which he wrote to his brother. Later, a shared interest in art brought Gachet and the painter together. The doctor was very fond of art and preferred to accept the masterpieces of great painters for his work.

Dr. Gachet is portrayed as sad and sickly as Van Gogh himself. The painter conveys his inner world through the portrait of the doctor. Strange remains the fact that the artist does not pursue fame, showing all the humanity of the soul. Fame is not the main task in his life. The painting Portrait of Doctor Gachet is a unique representation of Van Gogh’s gratitude.

The facts showed that the painting was a great success among art lovers and many wanted to buy this masterpiece for their collection. Interestingly enough, one collector purchased Portrait of Doctor Gachet for a huge sum of money and wished to have it cremated along with the painting. The public lamented, asked not to allow such desires of a millionaire, so still managed to save a picture from the inevitable death.

After all, the painting passed into the ownership of the investment fund, which resold it to an unknown fan of painting. Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece showed people the whole truth about friendship and devotion of man.