Vincent van Gogh on His Deathbed
Medium
Etching in black on tan laid paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 12.1 × 16.8 cm (4 13/16 × 6 5/8 in.); Sheet: 16 × 24.8 cm (6 5/16 × 9 13/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
51233
Art Historical Context
Dr. Paul-Ferdinandachet, Vincent van Gogh's devoted physician and friend, created this poignant etching in 1890, capturing the artist on his deathbed in Auvers-sur-Oise France. Just days after Van Gogh's tragic self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 27, Gachet sketched the scene as a personal tribute to his patient, whom he had treated during the final months of intense creativity and mental struggle. As a collector and amateur artist immersed in the Impressionist and Post-Impression circles, Gachet immortalized this intimate moment, blending medical compassion with artistic reverence. Rendered...