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The last great portrait by Vincent van Gogh disappeared from the public eye three decades ago. The podcast series Finding Van Gogh traces the painting’s eventful history—to get to the bottom of the question: where is the masterpiece now?
In five episodes and many voices, the series tells the eventful story of the legendary Portrait of Dr Gachet (1890), the last great portrait by Vincent van Gogh. In the podcast, the journalist Johannes Nichelmann meets with contemporary witnesses, experts and Van Gogh enthusiasts in Germany, France, London, New York and Switzerland. They talk about the painting’s execution, recall its history in the Nazi period and offer first-hand insights into the mechanisms of today’s art market. Not least importantly, the podcast examines the question of how an artwork and its artist can become a legend. Finding Van Gogh – the Städel’s new digital education offer is available free of charge in German and English on findingvangogh.com and on all major podcast platforms.
The podcast has been produced in conjunction with the exhibition Making Van Gogh: A German Love Story taking place at the Städel Museum from October 23, 2019 to February 16, 2020. The main focus of the presentation will be the emergence of the “Van Gogh legend” around 1900 and the significance of Vincent van Gogh’s oeuvre for modern art in Germany. It will feature some 120 works of art and—notably—an empty picture frame. This was the frame that originally held the Portrait of Dr Gachet. It shows the neurologist who treated Van Gogh. The expression and pose reveal the physician’s world-weariness and profound sense of melancholy. The artist painted the masterpiece just weeks before taking his own life.
The Portrait of Dr Gachet is an icon—not only of art history but also of the art market. In 1990, it was sold at auction for 82.5 million dollars—at the time the highest price ever paid for an artwork. Since then, the painting has never again been on view to the public.
Finding Van Gogh is a production of the Städel Museum in collaboration with Johannes Nichelmann and Jakob Schmidt. The podcast is available in German and English
All episodes and more information: findingvangogh.com
Available on all major podcast platforms
Media partners: Monopol Magazin für Kunst und Leben, Lage der Nation
