Vincent Van Gogh on his Deathbed

Louis Lumet|Vincent van Gogh|Dr. Paul Ferdinand Gachet

ca. 1890 · Etching and drypoint · Drawings and Prints

Dr. Paul Gachet, the amateur artist and doctor in whose care Vincent Van Gogh spent his final months in Auvers-sur-Oise, made several drawings of the deceased painter following his suicide, on which he based this print. It is a somber counterpart to the lively etched portrait of Gachet made by Van Gogh only weeks earlier (2021.243). Gachet signed his works “Van Ryssel”—deriving the name from his birthplace near Lille (“Ryssel” in Flemish)—and encouraged a number of artists, including Van Gogh, to try etching by sharing access to the press in his home. This impression is dedicated to Louis Lumet, an anarchist writer, who co-founded an organization called L’Art pour tous (Art for All) in 1901, whom Gachet likely met through Socialist circles.

Artist

Louis Lumet|Vincent van Gogh|Dr. Paul Ferdinand Gachet

Date

ca. 1890

Medium

Etching and drypoint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Peco Foundation, 2023