|
|
Dr. Paul Gachet was Vincent van Gogh's physician during the artist's last days in Auvers-sur-Oise. Gachet was a great supporter of artists and the Impressionist movement--in fact, he himself was an amateur painter.
Vincent's brother, Theo, thought that Gachet's background and sensitivity toward artists would make him an ideal doctor for Vincent during his recovery. Very soon after he began seeing Gachet, however, Vincent began to doubt the doctor's usefulness. Vincent described Gachet as:
"sicker than I am, I think, or shall we say just as much . . . ."
(Letter 648)
Many questions surround the figure of Dr. Paul Gachet. How could Vincent's suicidal behaviour escape his notice? What could Gachet have done to prevent Vincent's tragic death? What did Vincent mean exactly when he described Gachet as "sicker than I am"?