Perhaps the most widely known case is that of Van Gogh's severed ear. Of course, this act in itself is not so unique, but the very fact that the famous artist did it, and the mystery that shrouds this incident, still did their job. Now, even the most incurious reader, picking up a book about Van Gogh, will definitely try to find some information about this case.
A small house in the province, or bouts of depression
In 1888, 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. Thus begins the story of Van Gogh's ear.
Entertainment of two friends, or what two artists argue about
On October 23, 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 periodically kept a thoughtful silence, and at times showed intermittent outbursts of insanity. 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 the eternal stay next to him Paul 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, staggering, went home.
Van Gogh's ear. Photo of a self-portrait with a bandaged head
The alarmed woman decided to report this 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. Hospitalization continued for several weeks, and then Van Gogh returned to his small house. There he continued to write his works and even documented the last 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 famous moment in life, or what loneliness brings to
What else can be said 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 the 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 can also be believed.
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.
Many of us have heard more than once that the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear. But few of us wondered why and why he did it.
The history of Van Gogh's ear
Despite all the efforts of scientists, the story of Van Gogh's ear is still a mystery. Modern historians tend to lean towards two main versions:
- Van Gogh cut off his own ear, due to parting with his friend Paul Gauguin. The great artist, according to contemporaries, was a mentally unbalanced person. Upon learning that a friend who was visiting him was going to leave home, Van Gogh allegedly first tried to attack him with a razor, and then, having failed, cut off his earlobe in a fit of madness. The deranged van Gogh took the cut off flesh to a nearby brothel and gave it to a prostitute with the words: "Carefully take care of it."
- According to another version, Gauguin cut off Van Gogh's ear. The two artists allegedly quarreled strongly, after which Gauguin, who, according to scientists, was an excellent swordsman, took out a sword and, either in a rage, or accidentally cut off Van Gogh's earlobe.
Under interrogation by the police, Gauguin insisted on the first version, claiming that he had nothing to do with it and was crazy. Van Gogh cut off his own ear. Van Gogh, in turn, was simply silent. Some say that he did not want to harm his friend, who was threatened with prison, while others believe that Van Gogh could simply be out of his mind. By the way, the police never managed to find either the sword or the razor, and the two artists never saw each other again.
From time to time, articles pop up in various journals that scientists have again found "evidence" in favor of one version or another of what happened. Unfortunately, all this evidence is very circumstantial and often based on correspondence between Van Gogh, Gauguin and their entourage. Be that as it may, we are unlikely to ever know the truth about this story, because more than 100 years have passed since then.
Death of Van Gogh
Surprisingly, many moments of Van Gogh's life are covered in a veil of mystery, and even the circumstances of his death are still unclear. July 27, 1890 during one of the walks, Van Gogh was shot in the chest.
According to the most common version, he tried to commit suicide, but the bullet went just below the heart without causing serious damage to the internal organs. After that, the artist independently got to the hotel where he lived, where he was called by doctors. There is also a version that Van Gogh was shot by one of the teenagers who regularly accompanied him in pubs. Be that as it may, the police could not find either the murder weapon or even establish the crime scene. Van Gogh died 2 days later, at the age of 37, from blood loss (according to other sources, from an infection brought through the wound), his last words were:
"Sorrow Will Last Forever".
Van Gogh's room where he lived before his death 
Van Gogh's grave in Auvers-sur-Oise (France), where he is buried next to his brother Theo
"Self-portrait with bandaged ear and pipe." The work was written in a hospital. 1888
There are many versions, some scientists and historians, in pursuit of easy fame, put forward supposedly “shocking” facts, and come up with new details of this story. But this is all just their fantasy and far-fetched speculation. To fully understand this issue, I watched many documentaries, read all the correspondence with his brother, and also looked into the biography of Theodore's wife.
A Brief History of the Severed Ear
It all started with the fact that on October 25, 1888, a very important guest arrived in the town of Arles, and his name is Paul Gauguin. He was a real idol, and at the same time a good friend of Van Gogh. The first days of their cohabitation went smoothly, they worked peacefully in the yellow house, part of which Vincent rented with his brother's money.
They often discussed Vincent's obsession to form an artists' union where they could all work and earn under the same roof. This union of artists was supposed to include European Post-Impressionist painters with whom Van Gogh was friends. But the matter never came to realization, and the idea remained only on paper all the time. Perhaps the unstable financial situation and frequent health problems prevented her from realizing it. At the same time, living under one roof, Paul Gauguin managed to successfully sell his work! He liked to relax in brothels, drank a lot of alcohol, and naturally smoked constantly. He led such a lifestyle, and at the same time, did not hesitate to take the money that Theo sent them to live on - most likely, this was what brought the oppressed Vincent to the boil.
Causes of deep depression to be noted:
- Difficult financial situation.
- Unrealized idea with the union of artists.
- Disappointment in an artist friend.
- And finally - the envy of Paul Gauguin.
It is worth taking into account that Van Gog suffered from a heightened perception of reality. Plus, he was an unbalanced and very vulnerable person. Such a cocktail of internal problems - he could not sit inside for a long time, sooner or later, everything had to come to a boil. During another quarrel in the bar, he threw a glass at Gauguin, but he managed to dodge and the glass flew over his head, Vincent ran home, and Gauguin continued to rest with a grin. But the continuation of the conflict was not long in coming, and everything continued the next day. The following describes how Van Gogh cut off his ear.
How did Van Gogh cut off his ear?
A day later, at night, Van Gogh, with a razor in his hands, jumped out in front of Gauguin on the street, and they stared into each other's eyes for several seconds. Being a man with low self-esteem, Van Gogh could not stand the stress, and ran home with a frightened look. The razor was already in his hands, and in order not to feel like a complete nonentity, he had to use it. In morale, he was ready to commit suicide, but in his almost childish mind there was not enough courage for this terrible act. As a result of repentance and self-flagellation, on the same night, he could not stand it and cut off his earlobe. Then he wrapped it in paper and took it to the place where they most often rested. Brothel worker Rachel reported this egregious event to the police, law enforcement already knew where the artist lives, and arrived there in the morning. Here is how the French press described this incident:
“On Sunday, at night, citizen Vincent van Gogh appeared in a local brothel, asked a certain Rachel to approach him, he extended his earlobe to her, while saying: “Take care of this treasure.” And silently left without wanting to explain anything. The police, who immediately learned about the incident, went on the trail of the distraught artist. He was found in the house he rented, this man was lying in his bed in a faint.
The consequences of a severed ear
Gauguin and Van Gogh gave evidence to the police, where Van Gogh indirectly stood up for his friend, and took all the blame for what happened. On the same day, he was immediately taken to a psychiatric hospital, where the attack recurred again, and the doctors placed him in the department for violent patients. Although he himself did not consider himself violent, but rather a fit, the severed ear was precisely the result of a complex attack.
Corridor in the Saint-Paul hospital in Saint-Remy.
Gauguin left Arles on the same day, he also complained to his brother Theo about the inadequacy of Vincent. Thus, the artists could not live under one roof even for two full months. Gauguin went on to travel further, and never got in touch with the Van Gogh family again.
Theo, thanks to his connections and status, agreed with the doctors that Van Gogh could paint pictures while in the hospital, it was there that masterpieces were created: “Starry Night”, “Irises”, “Wheat Field with Cypresses” and many others.
Upon arrival home from the hospital, a second picture was painted with a bandaged ear, this time without a tube and with a very calm expression on his face, there is no fear and loss in his eyes, as in the previous picture, which was also painted in the hospital.
Self-portrait with bandaged ear. Arles. 1889, January.
driven to suicide
A year later, while walking with painting materials, Van Gogh shot himself in the heart with a pistol he bought to scare annoying birds while Vincent was working in the fields. But the bullet did not hit directly in the heart, and so he was able to get home on his own. The owner of the hotel where he lived called the doctors and they began to fight for his life. Theo arrived as quickly as he could and heard his brother's last words: "The sadness will last forever...".
"Wheat field with crows". The final, very sad work of the master.
As you can see, it is very difficult to unambiguously answer the question: Why did Van Gogh cut off his ear? Indeed, in this story there was a place for a suicide attempt, and poverty and dependence. Unfortunately, the severed ear was only the beginning of a sad end. After all, frequent seizures and violent attacks of schizophrenia began precisely after this ill-fated ear. You should not consider the artist a psychopath, they say he cut off his ear - so he's crazy. Each person has his own boiling point, after reaching it, he is no longer the same as he was before. It happened to him too, he was a really sick person, but not mentally ... but spiritually.
Interestingly, after this incident with the cut off ear, Van Gogh never remembered him again, as if he were not there. This is another proof that this whole period took place in a fog for him. Such a rejection of the past often occurs in sick people, supposedly it is not him.
Historians Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans have found new evidence that Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Willem van Gogh's suicide may have been caused by a quarrel with his friend Paul Gauguin - no less famous master of the same direction. The newspaper Telegraph tells about the hypothesis of scientists from Hamburg.
The book by Kaufmann and Wildegans, titled "In Van Gogh's Ear: Paul Gauguin and the Pact of Silence", is dedicated to the ill-fated episode with a cut off ear that occurred two years before the artist's suicide. On the night of December 23, 1888, Van Gogh appeared at the house of brothel and handed his ear to one of the girls with the words: “Take care of it like the apple of your eye,” after which he disappeared.The next morning, the police found the artist at home with almost no signs of life.
It is believed that Van Gogh, being an unbalanced and suicidal person, quarreled that day with his friend Paul Gauguin, with whom he rented a house together. The Dutchman allegedly attacked the French painter with a razor, but he was lucky enough to dodge and run away. Then Van Gogh, in despair, slashed his own ear, cutting off, however, only the lobe.
Kaufman and Widelgans explain this incredible act differently. According to them, on that day Gauguin was about to leave the rented house in Arles, for which he gathered his belongings, including a fencing mask and a sword, and headed towards the brothel. On the way, Van Gogh overtook him, who shortly before launched a glass at a friend. A quarrel broke out between them, and Gauguin, an excellent swordsman, drew his sword for self-defense. It was with this weapon, later thrown into the river, that he cut off part of Van Gogh's ear, and in his defense he made up a story with madness.
As confirmation, scientists cite one of Van Gogh's last letters to Paul Gauguin. It contains the following words: "You are silent - and I will be silent too." Historians see this as an allusion to the "non-disclosure pact" concluded between former friends: Van Gogh is silent about the fact that he was wounded, and Gauguin does not cover the quarrel that preceded this. In addition, scientists cite as evidence a drawing of an ear made by Van Gogh, with the Latin signature "ictus" - this term means a blow in fencing. “In 1888, Van Gogh was already suffering from nervous attacks, but was not yet mentally ill. However, the shock, which plunged him into a quarrel with a friend and an injury, caused him a worsening of the disease, which two years later led to suicide, ”explains Hans Kaufmann.
Van Gogh shot himself on July 27, 1890, after his mental crisis had been overcome in medical terms. Ironically, shortly before this, the artist was discharged from the clinic with the conclusion: "Recovered." The gun, which he pointed at his chest, was used by him to scare away crows while working in the open air. After the fatal shot, Van Gogh lived for two more days, was surprisingly calm and steadfastly endured suffering.
Today, everyone has heard the name of the great artist, but most of him is known only as a man who cut off his ear, and as the author of paintings that cost enormous money. This article contains the most interesting facts from the life of Van Gogh.
named after brother
Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born in the family of the pastor of the Protestant church Theodore and the bookbinder Anna Cornelia. The parents named the boy the same way as their first child, who was born a year earlier and did not live more than a week.
Wanted to be a priest
At first, Vincent seriously wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a clergyman. In the family of the future artist from a very early age, a love for religion was instilled - and his father and grandfather were respected priests. To receive the priesthood, it was necessary to study for 5 years in the seminary, but due to the impulsive nature of such training, Vincent seemed long and unproductive, so he went on an accelerated course at an evangelical school. This course was designed for three years of study, including a six-month missionary in a small mining town. Having spent these years of his life in terrible conditions, Vincent seriously doubted the saving properties of religion.
During the sermon, for which he had been preparing so long and diligently, none of the miners listened at all, and Vincent understood these people very well. After the sermon, a serious conversation took place with his father, in which the future artist confessed his doubts and that he no longer saw the point in further education. On this basis, the father and son quarreled strongly and never spoke again.
All works written in 10 years
Van Gogh decided to paint at a mature age, and in just 10 years he became a professional, wrote all his works and turned the established concepts in the visual arts upside down.
Was in love with his own cousin
Vincent met Kay Vos-Stricker, his cousin, when she and her son were visiting the artist's parents. At the time of the meeting, the cousin was a widow, but she rejected Van Gogh's feelings. Despite this, Vincent continued to court the lady, and thereby turned all the relatives against him.
The myth of the severed ear
In fact, Van Gogh did not cut off his ear - if this had happened, the artist would most likely have died immediately from a large loss of blood. This story is mysterious and shrouded in mystery. The most plausible version is as follows: Paul Gauguin came to Van Gogh to discuss a common workshop, but the artists did not come to a common point of view, as a result of which a conflict broke out, culminating in a fight and Vincent's attack on Gauguin with a razor in his hands. Gauguin was not injured, but Van Gogh cut off his earlobe that night. To this day, it is not known what it was - whether the artist repented of yesterday's incident or is it just the consequences of absinthe abuse.
Treatment in a psychiatric hospital
Immediately after the incident with Gauguin, Van Gogh is sent to a psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy. Residents of the city of Arles, where the razor incident occurred, asked the city authorities to isolate the artist from society, as a result of which Van Gogh was sent to the San Remy mental hospital. But the artist does not stop working, and even in the conditions of such an institution he creates great works, such as Starry Night.
mysterious death
The artist passed away under extremely mysterious circumstances at the age of 37. Van Gogh died from blood loss as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest from a pistol with which the artist drove away birds during the open air. To this day, it is not known for certain whether it was a suicide or an attempt. Van Gogh's last words were: "Sadness will last forever."
