The story of Van Gogh's severed ear

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Perhaps the most widely known case is that of Van Gogh's severed ear. Of course, in itself this act is not so unique, but the very fact that the famous artist committed it, and the mystery that shrouds this incident, still did their job. Now even the most inquisitive reader, picking up a book about Van Gogh, will definitely try to find some information about it.

A small house in the province, or Bouts of depression

In 1988, Vincent van Gogh rented a small house in a small southern French town called Arles. There, the Dutch painter, suffering from bouts of depression, experienced periods of madness and torment of creativity. Here he painted several scenes of the French countryside and the famous series of paintings "Sunflowers".

Exhausted by despair and loneliness, Van Gogh hoped for new acquaintances with creative personalities who would provide him with communication, and, perhaps, help reduce his financial dependence on his younger brother Theo, who always supported Vincent Van Gogh. The lonely artist repeatedly turned to his friend Gauguin with a request to join him. And finally, he heeded his prayers. This is how the story of Van's ear begins. Goga.

Entertainment of two friends, or what two artists argue about

23 October Paul Gauguin knocked on the door of Van Gogh's small dwelling. They began to study numerous paintings in art galleries, brightened up their leisure time in local brothels. Their relationship was quite stormy. The two post-impressionists argued constantly, ranging from household expenses to the merits of Delacroix or Rembrandt.

Paul Gauguin constantly grumbled about the dirt in the studio. What's more, he threw away all of Vincent van Gogh's bedding. And he immediately sent for his own, which were to be delivered directly from Paris. The small house quickly filled with an atmosphere of tension. Paul became increasingly concerned about the state of Vincent, who kept an intermittent pensive silence and at times exhibited intermittent outbursts of madness. Gauguin often wrote about this in his letters to Theo van Gogh, his friend's younger brother.

Another fit of madness, or a cry of despair

Finally, two days before Christmas, which Van Gogh, by the way, never liked, Paul told him that he planned to return to Paris. In the evening he went for a walk, when suddenly Vincent overtook him from behind and began to threaten him with a razor. Gauguin reassured his friend, but just in case, he spent the night at a nearby hotel. How could Paul then imagine how this decision would affect further events and Van Gogh's ear.

Vincent returned to his deserted house. Alone again … All his dreams for eternal stay next to himThe fields of Gauguin were destroyed. In another fit of madness, the artist took a razor, pulled back his left earlobe and cut it off. The torn ear artery began to bleed profusely, and Vincent bandaged his head with a damp towel. But the story about Van Gogh's ear does not end there. The artist carefully wrapped it in a newspaper and went to a brothel located next door, where he found an acquaintance of Paul Gauguin. He handed this bundle to her and asked her to keep it carefully. Seeing the contents, the poor woman fainted, and Van Gogh staggered home.

Van Gogh's ear. Photo of a self-portrait with a bandaged head

An alarmed woman decided to report the incident to the police, and the next morning the artist was found unconscious in bed, covered in blood. He was admitted to a local hospital. Vincent van Gogh repeatedly asked a friend to visit him. But Paul Gauguin never came. The hospitalization continued for several weeks, and then Van Gogh returned to his small house.

There he continued to write and even documented the latest violent episode, which readers know as the story of Van Gogh's ear, in the form of a self-portrait with a bandaged head. Manic attacks continued from time to time, and Vincent van Gogh spent most of the next year in the psychiatric clinic of Saint-Rémy. But the treatment did not save the shattered psyche of the famous artist, and on July 27, 1890, he shot himself.

The most famousmoment in life, or what loneliness leads to

What else can you say about Van Gogh's severed ear? The story, which took place on December 23, 1888, remains the most famous fragment from the life of the famous artist. Most of the narrative of those events was compiled from the words of Paul Gauguin, whom the police initially suspected of committing this act. Until now, among art historians and biographers, there is an opinion that in fact the situation looked somewhat different.

Most likely, this story served only as a cover that two artists came up with to protect Gauguin, who cut off Van Gogh's ear with his fencing sword during another quarrel. Considering how desperately Vincent wanted to keep his friendship with Paul, this version is also believable.

However, the friends never saw each other again. And this story has forever remained an unsolved mystery, which interested not only contemporaries, but also many today's admirers of the talented artist's work. Moreover, it turns out that there is even a song called Van Gogh's Ear. Kashin Pavel, a famous contemporary performer, apparently tried to convey in it the emotions that Vincent van Gogh experienced at the time of this crazy act.