Why did van Gogh cut off his ear?

Answer 1

Finally, one right up my alley!! VanGogh, as is often the case with Artists and other creative types, suffered from mental illness and an addiction to Absinthe, also known as "the green fairy"(which is now banned in the US)and was quite fond of visiting prostitutes. Technically he didn't "lose" his ear, he cut off only the lobe of his left ear and gave it, in an envelope, to a prostitute named Rachel at a brothel he frequented, with the instructions to "guard this object carefully". An accurate diagnosis of Van Gogh's illness is still unavailable, but we do know a few things for sure: 1)he acquired syphillis from the prostitutes he visited and 2)there was a family history of mental illness. Recently, a new theory has evolved which states something to the effect that he may have had a congenital brain lesion that was exacerbated by his regular ingestion of absinthe. Hope that helps! Cheers! *That is true. He cut it off and brought it to a woman at a brothel. He was a very odd person. He once urinated in the fireplace of the queens castle for no particular reason. I added a link to the right. If you would like to read more about the ear you can find the information on that site. See link below.

Answer 2

by 1888, Van Gogh was living with Paul Gauguin in Arles, France after an unsuccessful attempt to sell any of his paintings in Paris. Gauguin and Van Gogh were at constant odds; Van Gogh had no sense of decent living (crazy creative type) and Gauguin hated this about him. On Christmas Eve in 1888, an argument between them turned into a fight and Van Gogh attacked Gauguin with a razor. Van Gogh didn't manage to cut Gauguin and locked himself in his room.

Van Gogh drank himself stupid for the remainder of the nite and regretted lashing out at Gauguin. He hoped that if he resorted to self-mutilation as a sign of remorse, he could make amends with his room mate. He cut his ear from the top of the lobe on down at an angle while standing in front of the mirror.

Still drunk and upset, Van Gogh wrapped the severed ear piece and walked to the local bordello. Caked in the blood of the unwrapped ear injury, he found a prostitute, Rachel (he had a crush on her) and gave her the handkerchief containing his ear piece. She passed out, naturally, and the bordello erupted into chaos. Van Gogh was found asleep in bed the following morning.

The struggling artist spent a year in the asylum and shot himself in the chest with a pistol two years after his 'vacation' to the loony bin.

--source: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader (Plunge Into History edition)

Answer 3

Because he was an artist, an afflicted man. He had the gift of being cursed. The heart of love in the body of pain. The desire to attract and the desperation for solitude. But most of all, the most potent of feelings within a presumably lacking exterior. Hence, the ear of expression. "Explain that." == == A more prosaic version: Vincent's colleague Paul Gauguin has told that he saw Vincent coming after him with a razor. When Gauguin turned and looked at him, Vincent went back inside and cut off a piece of his ear. It seems to have happened in a fit of uncontrollable rage. What i was told: Vincent's love of his life left him, he was very depressed. He didn't want to hear the world, so he cut off his ear. Another answer: I know the last answer above, the romantic one, is very appealing to young people. It is however not consistent with any of the scholarly biographies written about Vincent.

AND: cutting off the earlobe (not the whole ear) did not impair his hearing at all.

Answer 4

Vincent Van Gogh, the answer is a razor, which in those days was a very sharp knife-like instrument. Vincent first threatened to attack his colleague Paul Gauguin with it, then changed his mind and cut off a bit of his own left ear (not the whole ear).

Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear in a fit of rage. Not knowing what to do with it he presented it to a prostitute he knew.

He did NOT cut his ear for her sake.

The prosaic version is that Vincent was going to attack Paul Gauguin with a razor, but changed his mind, went back and directed his rage at himself.

"Paul Gauguin has written a letter to a friend where he tells about the incident. Gauguin had left their common lodgings and after a while he heard steps behind him. When he turned around he saw Vincent standing there brandishing a razor. Gauguin stood still just looking at Vincent. Soon Vincent turned and went back to his room, wher he cut off part of his ear. After he had been bandaged he wrapped up the 'object' and sent to the prostitute you mentioned." - Pernys32

According to biographers he cut off only the earlobe, which he wrapped up and gave to a prostitute he knew.

Vincent van Gogh, in 1888, cut off part of one ear, after trying to attack his colleague, Paul Gauguin, but changed his mind and attacked himself.

There is another theory that Gauguin might have done it.

Theory 1:Vincent was mentally imbalanced and had to be treated at asylums. At Arles he wanted to work together with Paul GauguIn, but Gauguin could not stand Vincent in the long run. Vincent was trobled by this and in a fit of rage he went after Gauguin with a razor . Gauguin spotted him coming, Vincent turned around and went home and cut off a part of his ear. Theory 2:Van Gogh and Gauguin were sharing accommodation, but this and the depression of Van Gogh led to a fight where Gauguin cut off Van Gogh 's ear with his sword. They agreed to the story of Van Gogh doing it himself to protect Gauguin. Theory 3:His ear lobe (not his entire ear) was cut off accidentally while Van Gogh was having a seizure.

Cutting off the earlobe (not the whole ear) did not impair his hearing at all.

Another answer:I know the romantic answer (he did it because he loved her), is very appealing to young people. It is however not consistent with any of the scholarly biographies written about Vincent. New Information:See link below.
Vincent van Gogh cut off one of his ears because he had had an argument with one of his friends. The argument may have been whether Paul Gauguin was going to leave Arles, where they had been working together.

It is believed that he cut his left earlobe off December 24, 1888 during some kind of seizure. This took place in Arles (France) when Van Gogh was 35.

Nobody was with Vincent van Gogh when he cut off his ear.

He used a razor (a very sharp kind of knife) to cut it off, he was in deep depression after his friend Paul Gauguin had been mad at him.

Van Gogh suffered from mental illness. He gave the blood-covered part of his ear to a prostitute he knew, not his loved one, which he had none. Later he shot himself and died.

Answer 5

He had mental health issues, which is said to have lead to him cutting of a part of his ear. He was also distressed at some point, due to one of his friends. I'm not 100% sure about the whole story but that the general story. Very general story

Answer 6

In the late 1800s. Yo momma cut van goghs ear off to use for pleasure herself

Answer 7

He cut (part of) it off with a razor. Some people believe Paul Gauguin did it.

Answer 8

He cut off part of it with a razor.