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- First version of Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr. Gachet, sold for $82.5 Mio, thus being the sixth most expensive painting of the world
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- Second version of Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr. Gachet, to be seen in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris and having a blue background and jacket, unlike the fist version where the background is dark blue and the jacket black
The Portrait of Dr. Gachet is a painting by Vincent van Gogh. He executed it in 1890, just a few weeks before he committed suicide. The portrait shows the physician, Paul-Ferdinand Gachet in Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris. The dimensions are 68cm x 57 cm. Van Gogh was inspired in this work by Eugène Delacroix’s painting of Torquato Tasso.
After van Gogh died the portrait it was inherited by his brother, Theo van Gogh. His widow sold it later for some 300 francs to a Danish collector. However, in 1990 it was sold for not less than $ 82.5. The Portrait of Dr. Gachet thus became the sixth most expensive painting of the world.
Actually, there are two versions of this painting, both painted at the very same time and both showing Dr. Gachet, at a table, who leans his head on one of his arms. Just the colors differ. The second version features a blue background and is exhibited in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
