In short
Why did Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear? The ear incident was Vincent's first major mental breakdown. What illness did he suffer from?
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Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait as a Painter, 1888
Vincent dreamed of establishing an artists’ community at his house in Arles, in the South of France. He invited various artists to join him. Paul Gauguin was ultimately the only artist to take up Vincent’s offer.
Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh Painting Sunflowers, 1888
Paul Gauguin, Self-Portrait with Portrait of Emile Bernard (Les misérables), 1888
Vincent was delighted that Paul Gauguin agreed to travel south. The two artists worked closely together for a while, but their discussions became increasingly heated.
They had different ideas about art. Tensions rose high. Vincent was worried that Gauguin would leave. His dream of an artists’ community would then fall to pieces.
Vincent van Gogh, Courtyard of the Hospital, 1889, Oskar Reinhart Collection, Winterthur
After a furious row, Vincent got very confused. In a fit of madness, he cut off his ear. He ended up in hospital.
Letter from Félix Rey to Irving Stone with drawings of Vincent van Gogh’s mutilated ear. The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
Félix Rey was the physician who treated Vincent. He drew a diagram showing how Vincent had cut off his ear.
Vincent van Gogh, Selfportrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889, The Samuel Courtauld Trust
‘I well knew that one could break one’s arms and legs before, and that then afterwards that could get better but I didn’t know that one could break one’s brain and that afterwards that got better too.’
To Theo, 28 January 1889
The ear incident was the result of Vincent’s first major mental breakdown. More of these attacks would follow. What illness was he suffering from?
