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Modern Mysteries

Gauguin 'cut off Van Gogh's ear'

By T.K. Randall
May 6, 2009 · Comment icon 8 comments



Image Credit: Vincent Van Gogh
A new book based on the original police investigation in to the incident in which Van Gogh supposedly cut off his own ear has revealed that he may have lost the ear to a sword swipe from fellow artist Paul Gauguin.
Vincent van Gogh did not cut off his own ear but lost it in a fight with fellow artist Paul Gauguin in a row outside a brothel, it has been claimed. It has long been accepted that the mentally ill Dutch painter cut off his own ear with a razor after the row in Arles, southern France, in 1888."


Source: BBC News | Comments (8)


Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by little_dreamer 15 years ago
Interesting. I know he painted a self portrait with his ear injury covered by a bandage.
Comment icon #2 Posted by MirrorImage 15 years ago
I was under the impression that he suffered from tic delaroux and cut his ear off thinking it would ease the pain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigeminal_neuralgia (for those wondering what tic delaroux is)
Comment icon #3 Posted by schizoidwoman 15 years ago
I read this on the BBC earlier... I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure!
Comment icon #4 Posted by expandmymind 15 years ago
it would be good to see the original police reports.
Comment icon #5 Posted by dr alien 15 years ago
art... is like fighting... you move your brush as you move your sword, you paint your picture just like zorro and when you fail to paint your picture, you start sculpting fail....
Comment icon #6 Posted by Lt_Ripley 15 years ago
I know he held Gauguin in such high regard ( obsessed I think ) that I could see him taking the rap for it to protect him. IMO Gauguin was a loser addicted to himself and attention starved ... and strung the insecure Van Gogh around like a puppet. Which when Gauguin finally let Van Gogh down over impressionism ( basically calling Van Gogh's work a pile of dog droppings so to speak ) in which they argued and the ear incident was to have happened , sent Van Gogh into another break down. the same with Picasso. I remember learning that many believe he predated his painting to make it seem he was t... [More]
Comment icon #7 Posted by :PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR: 15 years ago
I know he held Gauguin in such high regard ( obsessed I think ) that I could see him taking the rap for it to protect him. IMO Gauguin was a loser addicted to himself and attention starved ... and strung the insecure Van Gogh around like a puppet. Which when Gauguin finally let Van Gogh down over impressionism ( basically calling Van Gogh's work a pile of dog droppings so to speak ) in which they argued and the ear incident was to have happened , sent Van Gogh into another break down. This is very plausible.
Comment icon #8 Posted by lordstanley 15 years ago
I bet it happened, they were friends and i bet he would lie to save his friends **** when they both came down, hahaha they are to cool.


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