Vincent van Gogh, a name synonymous with artistic genius and tormented soul, remains one of history’s most captivating figures. Among the many tales surrounding his life, the most infamous is the story of his severed ear. But Why Did Van Gogh Cut Off His Ear? The commonly accepted narrative points to an act of self-mutilation during a bout of mental illness. However, recent historical analysis proposes a startlingly different perspective, suggesting the truth behind this gruesome event may be more complex and involve his tumultuous relationship with fellow artist Paul Gauguin.
The bond between Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin was intense and creatively fertile. Gauguin, a dynamic and influential artist, joined Van Gogh in Arles, in the south of France, for nine transformative months. This period, intended to be a collaborative artistic revolution within the walls of the now-famous “Yellow House,” is now being re-examined with a fresh lens. Historians Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans have delved deep into witness accounts and the artists’ own correspondence from this period, leading to a controversial yet compelling alternative theory.
Kaufmann and Wildegans argue that the widely believed narrative of self-harm might be inaccurate. Their research suggests that the catalyst for the ear incident was Gauguin’s announcement that he was leaving Arles and returning to Paris. This news, delivered just days before Christmas, deeply upset Van Gogh. The two artists engaged in a heated argument, escalating outside a brothel. It is here that the historians propose a dramatic altercation occurred, one that potentially involved violence.
Gauguin, known to be a skilled fencer, a master of wielding a blade, may have inadvertently or intentionally played a role in the injury. Kaufmann explained to ABC news, “We came to the conclusion that van Gogh was terribly upset over Gauguin’s plan to go back to Paris, after the two men had spent an unhappy stay together at the ‘Yellow House’ in Arles, Southern France, which had been set up as a studio in the South.” The theory posits that during the argument outside the brothel, Van Gogh may have confronted or even attacked Gauguin in his distress. In response, Gauguin, possibly in self-defense or in the heat of the moment, might have drawn his weapon.
The historians suggest that in the ensuing darkness and confusion, Gauguin’s blade struck Van Gogh’s ear. Whether it was a deliberate act to injure or an accidental blow remains uncertain. However, Kaufmann concedes, “We do not know for sure if the blow was an accident or a deliberate attempt to injure van Gogh, but it was dark and we suspect that Gauguin did not intend to hit his friend.”
Following the incident, a significant detail emerges from Kaufmann and Wildegans’ research: a “pact of silence” between the two artists. They believe that Van Gogh, deeply attached to his friendship with Gauguin and unwilling to see his fellow artist implicated in any wrongdoing, agreed to conceal the true events. This selfless act, rooted in Van Gogh’s character and his profound appreciation for their artistic bond, could explain why the story of self-mutilation became the dominant narrative.
While the traditional explanation of self-harm aligns with Van Gogh’s known struggles with mental health, the Kaufmann-Wildegans theory offers a compelling alternative grounded in historical re-examination. It reframes the incident not as solely an act of individual madness, but as a tragic outcome of a complex and volatile relationship between two artistic giants. The question of why Van Gogh cut off his ear may, therefore, have a less straightforward and more interpersonal answer than previously believed, highlighting the enduring mysteries that continue to surround the life and art of Vincent van Gogh.
