Dr Paul Gachet
1890
Van Gogh painted his doctor, Paul Gachet, just weeks before his own tragic death in 1890, capturing a profound sense of melancholy in the physician's slumped posture and weary blue eyes. Notice the sprig of foxglove flowers resting on the bright orange table—Gachet actually prescribed this plant, which contains digitalis, to treat heart conditions. Van Gogh famously remarked that the doctor looked 'sicker than I am,' and this poignant portrait, with its swirling Post-Impressionist brushstrokes, later became one of the most expensive paintings ever sold at auction.
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