It's one of the most bizarre episodes in art history — and yet, by all historical accounts, it really happened.
On December 23, 1888, just two days before the Christmas holiday, the brilliantly talented but deeply troubled Vincent van Gogh found himself in the grip of what was described as some form of dementia. This mental crisis sparked a dangerous quarrel with fellow artist Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh was widely regarded as an exceptionally gifted painter, yet he was equally known for his odd behavior and what many described as paranoia. But it wasn't the confrontation itself that makes this story so remarkable — it's what came next.
In most disputes, the natural impulse is for each party to lash out at the other, whether through words or fists. Van Gogh initially did threaten Mr. Gauguin with a knife — but then, in a shocking turn, he directed that blade toward himself and severed his own ear. What followed was even more bewildering: Mr. Van Gogh apparently took the bloody ear, wrapped it up, and personally delivered it to an unnamed prostitute. He was reportedly hospitalized in the aftermath and later voluntarily committed himself to a mental institution following that hospitalization.
The precise trigger behind this extraordinary episode remains a mystery. Mr. Gauguin was documented as being Van Gogh's friend, and the two artists had lived together as roommates for nearly two months before tensions between them surfaced. During that time, they were also recorded as collaborating on art projects. No account exists of how Mr. Gauguin responded or what he did when faced with the knife threat. What does seem clear, however, is that Mr. van Gogh battled unstable moods, paranoia, and some form of unspecified psychosis — any of which may have been enough to provoke the discord that erupted between the two men.