Portrait of Doctor Gachet or Man with a Pipe

The Portrait of Doctor Gachet or Man with a Pipe by Vincent van Gogh is a singular work created in 1890 during the artist’s final months in Auvers-sur-Oise. This piece is significant because it is Gogh’s only known pure etching, a striking departure from the oil paintings that dominate his output. The selection of the medium, utilizing incised lines on a copper plate, provides insight into the artist’s brief, late experimentation with printmaking techniques before his death. The sitter is Doctor Paul Gachet, the homeopathic physician and amateur artist who cared for Gogh following his stay at the Saint-Rémy asylum.

Gogh portrays Gachet seated at a table, holding a pipe, his head resting heavily in his hand, conveying an air of profound melancholic contemplation. This emotional intensity, shared by both the artist and the sitter, defined the critical period of Post-Impressionism that Gogh championed. The characteristic expressive lines seen in Gogh’s final oil works are skillfully translated into the precise structure of the etching, capturing a dynamic texture of nervous, swirling energy surrounding the doctor’s form.

This unique print, which exists in two known states, remains a crucial document of Gogh’s final artistic environment. The initial impressions were pulled by Gachet himself, ensuring the continuity of the imagery after the artist’s passing. An important impression of this landmark modern Portrait of Doctor Gachet or Man with a Pipe currently resides within the esteemed collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a widely reproduced image, this piece is frequently studied in the context of both modern prints and the psychological dimensions of Gogh’s oeuvre.