1. Portrait of Dr. Gachet
Sold for around $151.2 million (original price at the time $82.5 million)
Painted in 1890
The most expensive Van Gogh painting ever sold, is yet another portrait – Portrait of Dr.Gachet. This one had the most interesting story behind it, because of the controversy of the subject painted. In case you didn’t know, Dr. Gachet was Van Gogh’s doctor who was helping him after he left the asylum, in the last months of his life. Many blame Dr. Gachet for Van Gogh’s suicide, as Van Gogh once wrote to his brother Theo that Dr. Gaceht couldn’t be trusted in the sense that “one blind man was leading the other”. And, we can all see that depression dominates this portrait. But, on the other side, he also wrote that he sees Dr. Gachet as a true friend, almost as a brother. Van Gogh painted two portraits of his interesting doctor, and one has risen above all the other at least when it comes to the price tag. Is it because of the controversy? Because it is one of the last Van Gogh’s paintings? Or is it because of the true power of emotions it narrates?
