
The Real Story of Vincent Van Gogh’s Severed Ear (From <https://www.vincentvangogh.org/van-gogh-ear.jsp>)
Vincent Van Gogh’s legacy is more than his considerable influence on the direction of Western art. It extends beyond his visionary Post-Impressionistic collection of paintings. The artist’s impulsive act of self-mutilation just before Christmas in 1888 is a key part of the Van Gogh legacy, and new theories regarding what really happened that dark night in Arles, France, continue to fuel an ongoing controversy.
The Arles Experiment
Early in 1888, Van Gogh moved to the south of France where he rented the so-called Yellow House in the town of Arles. There, he created his well-known Sunflowers paintings as well as nearly 300 other artworks.
At Van Gogh’s invitation, Paul Gauguin arrived in Arles in October 1888. (One author believes it was Van Gogh’s brother who paid Gauguin to visit). The two painted side by side in the…
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