“I absolutely hated taking auctions. I was incredibly nervous. I was paralyzed with fear is really the answer.”

The Portrait of Dr Gachet has meanwhile changed owners thirteen times – and now it’s writing art market history. How did it come about: the historical auction where the painting broke all the price records? Johannes travels to Christie’s in London to meet with Christopher Burge, the auctioneer who auctioned the portrait in 1990. Burge recounts how not only the prices but also something else exploded in New York at the time. What path has the international art market taken since then?

FINDING VAN GOGH is a podcast series by the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany, in cooperation with Johannes Nichelmann and Jakob Schmidt.

Find out more on www.findingvangogh.com

Media partners: Monopol Magazin für Kunst und Leben, Lage der Nation - der wöchentliche Politik-Podcast aus Berlin

picture credits: Vincent van Gogh, Portrait of Dr Gachet, 1890, private collection, photo: Bridgeman Images // Giovanna Bertazzoni, photo: Christie’s Images Limited