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Primary sourceArtifact29 July 1890

Vincent van Gogh on his Deathbed

Paul Gachet · 29 July 1890

An etching made by Dr Paul Gachet showing Van Gogh's face shortly after his death on 29 July 1890.

This etching is a direct eyewitness image of Van Gogh made at the moment of his death by his own doctor.

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Etching of a man's head in profile on a pale brown background, eyes closed, face lit from the left, with a monogram at lower left and a handwritten inscription with signature at lower right.
Paul Gachet, Vincent van Gogh on his Deathbed, 1890. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

About this source

What it is

This is an etching made by Dr Paul Gachet, Van Gogh's physician, depicting the artist's face as he lay dead on 29 July 1890. It is held by the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Why it matters

Gachet was present at Van Gogh's death and made this image as an eyewitness record, not as a work of imagination. It is a rare direct document of the end of Van Gogh's life, made by someone who knew him personally during his final months in Auvers-sur-Oise.

Look closer

  • Why might a doctor who knew the artist choose to draw him after death?
  • What does the calm, lit profile suggest about how Gachet wanted him remembered?
  • What can and can't this image tell us about how Van Gogh died?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Vincent van Gogh on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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