On May 15, 1990, Vincent van Gogh’s “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” made history at Christie’s in Manhattan, auctioned for a staggering $82.5 million. Purchased by a Japanese paper magnate, it became the most expensive painting sold at auction at that time. Created in June 1890, just weeks before van Gogh’s tragic suicide, the painting is steeped in emotion, reflecting what van Gogh described as the “heartbroken expression of our time.” Experts believe its current value might exceed $300 million.
For much of the 20th century, the portrait was showcased at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, lent by a private collector before its record-breaking sale. However, since then, the whereabouts of this iconic artwork have remained shrouded in mystery.
Art curators struggling to locate the portrait have nearly given up, prompting the Städel Museum to create a podcast dedicated to its search. Those tracing the painting's journey have uncovered that the 1990 buyer faced financial turmoil, leading to the painting passing to an Austrian financier before being sold privately in 1998 to an undisclosed party. Since then, its trail has gone cold.
Despite the art market's inherent secrecy, a small group of auction house representatives, art dealers, and advisors continuously track such masterpieces. Reporters from The New York Times have attempted to trace the history of the Gachet since the 1998 sale, reaching out to insiders connected to the auction and exploring leads from New York to a picturesque Swiss villa by Lake Lugano.
Many experts encountered have been equally puzzled about the painting's fate. Some speculated it resides with a wealthy private family in Europe. This raises a vital question: Should collectors of renowned artworks share them with the public, especially as museums struggle to compete with billionaires for extraordinary pieces?
For centuries, the story of Gachet began in Auvers-sur-Oise, France. Van Gogh arrived in the village on May 20, 1890, seeking inspiration before his untimely death. There, he met Dr. Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, a physician fond of art, and began painting in the doctor’s garden, creating both the portrait and still lifes.
Van Gogh gifted a replica of the portrait to Gachet, which is currently displayed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Gary Tinterow, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, emphasizes van Gogh's humanistic spirit in this artwork. After van Gogh's death, the portrait passed through several hands, including his brother Theo and eventually to a German count.
In 1911, the Städel Museum acquired the painting, where it remained until the rise of the Nazis, who confiscated it in the late 1930s. The painting’s path led it to German banker Franz Koenigs, and later to Siegfried Kramarsky, a Jewish banker who immigrated to New York, where the painting intermittently graced the Met until it was loaned indefinitely in 1984.
After the 1990 auction, Ryoei Saito, the winning bidder and chair of Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Co., faced legal troubles that resulted in his collection being sold off, including the Gachet. It eventually fell into the hands of Wolfgang Flöttl, but as his financial situation worsened, the painting was sold privately in a transaction that remains undisclosed.
Speculation regarding the current owner has abounded, with names like Guido Barilla emerging but later denied in a podcast exploring the portrait’s history. Some insiders suggest the painting is held by an affluent Italian family, the Invernizzis, based in Switzerland, linked to the Galbani cheese empire. Although rumors persist about their ownership, the family denies possessing the artwork.
Michael Findlay, an expert from Christie’s, remains unsure of the painting's whereabouts, cautioning against assumptions that the mystery is solved. He indicated that the Gachet may have changed hands since its last known sale in 1998.
As the search for “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” continues, it stands as a symbol of the complex relationship between private collectors and public access to cultural treasures. The world awaits an answer to the question of this iconic masterpiece’s elusive current home, with its profound history echoing in the art community. —NYT
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