Doctor Gachet's Garden in Auvers

Catalogue numbers: F 755, JH 1999.

Paul Gachet, a doctor specialising in nervous disorders, looked after the sick van Gogh during the last few weeks of his life. Dr. Gachet lived on a hill with his children in a house surrounded by high walls.

It is clear from van Gogh's large-scale painting of the garden that it gave the impression of a secure environment. The garden is densely overgrown with trees and plants. Towering, dark trees enclose the plot of land, permitting only the occasional glimpse of a neighbouring roof. In addition, the painter's viewpoint has been chosen in such a way that the large cypress in the background obstructs the view of the distant landscape and the sky.