A man with a mustache and wavy hair sits at a table, his head tilted slightly forward and his gaze directed out toward the viewer. He holds a pipe in his right hand, which rests on the table, while his left hand supports his chin, creating a pose of introspective contemplation. The sitter’s eyes are framed by heavy lids, and his brow is furrowed, suggesting a mood of melancholy or deep thought.

Fine, swirling lines describe his hair and the folds of his jacket, while sharper, more angular strokes define the fingers and the contours of his face. The composition is tightly framed, with the man’s head and hands filling most of the sheet, creating an intimate and immediate encounter with the subject. The etching’s surface is alive with varied linework, from delicate curves to bold, expressive strokes, giving a sense of movement and texture throughout the image.

In the upper right corner, a handwritten inscription is visible, adding a personal note to the print. An ornate decorative element sits atop a post in the background at the upper left, providing a whimsical contrast to the sitter’s somber expression. Curving, cloud-like forms fill the background behind the sitter, suggesting a sense of depth and atmosphere.

A vertical fence with closely spaced bars runs horizontally across the upper portion of the image, partially obscured by swirling lines. The sitter’s left elbow rests on the table, with the forearm extending diagonally toward the lower left corner of the composition. The lower right edge of the sheet is marked by a dense cluster of crosshatched lines, creating a shadowed effect beneath the sitter’s arm.

Light falls most strongly on the sitter’s forehead and the tops of his hands, while the areas beneath his eyes and along his jaw are rendered in deeper shadow. Vincent van Gogh created this work on June 15, 1890, as stated in the museum’s documentation. The subject, Dr Gachet, is depicted with a pipe, as indicated in both the title and the image itself. The etching is attributed to Vincent van Gogh, whose name appears in both the title and the museum’s inscription.