Van Gogh May Not Have Cut Off Own Ear
According to a new book called “In Van Gogh’s Ear: Paul Gauguin and the Pact of Silence,” it is suggested that it wasn’t Van Gogh at all who cut off his own ear. It was Paul Gauguin, an accomplished fencer, who cut off his ear with a sword.
It has long been believed the mentally ill Van Gogh cut off his own ear in 1888. An instance that the book is saying is false.
The book, which sounds pretty interesting actually, is supposedly based on the original police investigation into the matter.
German academics Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans reportedly spent a decade studying police records, witness accounts and letters sent by the two artists.
The authors ultimately concluded Gauguin was responsible for cutting off Van Gogh’s ear, which the injured artist apparently handed to a prostitute named Rachel. The painters then told the police Van Gogh cut it off himself to protect Gauguin from prosecution, the BBC quoted the authors as saying.
Interesting. Sound slike a decent book to read whether true, or not. Wonder how useful acne treatments would be for a guy with no ear. Probably isn’t really all that important at that point.
