Portrait of Dr. Gachet: The Story of a Van Gogh Masterpiece - Hardcover

Saltzman, Cynthia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670862231 ISBN 13: 9780670862238

Publisher: Viking, 1998

Synopsis

In 1990, one of Vincent van Gogh's last paintings, 'Portrait of Dr. Gachet, ' was sold for the astonishing price of $82.5 million. This fascinating book reconstructs the painting's journey and becomes a rich story of modernism and the forces behind the art market. 'Portrait of Dr. Gachet' was one of van Gogh's last paintings, completed just weeks before his suicide. Depicting the eccentric physician who was attempting to treat the artist, this painting was viewed by van Gogh as a summation of his ideas about portraiture. Cynthia Saltzman's book reconstructs the journey of this revolutionary and haunting painting, in which, as van Gogh wrote, he strove to capture the 'heartbroken expression of our time.' As Saltzman superbly shows, this painting not only evokes the ethos of modern life but also illuminates the ways in which art, politics, and the market have intersected in the 20th century. Affected by broad social and cultural change, the painting's fate was also influenced by innovations in the way art was sold and displayed, and by the growing role of dealers and museums.

About this title

About the Author:

A former reporter for Forbes and The Wall Street Journal, Cynthia Saltzman earned degrees in art history at Harvard and Berkeley. She currently resides with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Synopsis:

Chronicles the work's one-hundred-year history, from its creation shortly before the artist's death, to its sale for $82.5 million in 1990.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0670862231
• ISBN 13: 9780670862238
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 432