“In general when people don’t know where a painting is, they say it’s in a private collection in Switzerland. That’s the standard response.”
Where is the Portrait of Dr Gachet now? Since the historical auction in 1990, the artwork has never been on view to the public again. Its last three decades begin in Japan and lead to an Austrian – and shady business dealings in the Caribbean. Finally, Johannes comes surprisingly close to the work’s present owner in New York. Which is not to say that the Portrait of Dr Gachet couldn’t also be in Switzerland.
FINDING VAN GOGH is a podcast series by the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany, in cooperation with Johannes Nichelmann and Jakob Schmidt.
Find out more on www.findingvangogh.com
Media partners: Monopol Magazin für Kunst und Leben, Lage der Nation - der wöchentliche Politik-Podcast aus Berlin
picture credits: Vincent van Gogh, Portrait of Dr Gachet, 1890, private collection, photo: Bridgeman Images