Thread by @WhoresofYore

This is a letter from Van Gogh’s doctor, Felix Rey, showing how the artist cut off his whole ear, rather than just the lobe as many had believed. This document was found in an archive by researcher Bernadette Murphy, who was determined to find out why he had done this.

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One of the best-known stories in the history of art is that Vincent Van Gogh had a fight with fellow artist Paul Gauguin & then cut off part of his ear in a moment of insanity. Afterwards, he sent it to a sex worker called Rachel who Gaugin had been sleeping with.

The horrible incident occurred in December 1888 in the southern French town of Arles, and was documented by newspaper reports and witnesses including police and fellow artists. (Report on the ‘ear incident’ in the Arles newspaper 'Forum Républicain'. Sunday 30 December 1888)

Even Van Gogh documented the injury in "Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear", 1889

Bernadette Murphy spent years researching records from this period to find ‘Rachel’ but instead found the ear had been given to a young woman named Gabrielle Berlatier who had been savaged by a dog a year before and was working as a maid in a brothel.

Van Gogh was very unwell at this time and experiencing extremely confused thoughts. Murphy suggests that he cut his ear off and it to gave Gabrielle in the belief he could somehow heal her scars from the dog bite - rather than because of a fight with Gauguin.

However, others disagree. Hans Kaufmann & Rita Wildegans in their 2009 book, "Pact of Silence," argue that it was Gauguin who cut Van Gogh’s ear with a sword. This is theory is refuted by many scholars as no weapon was recovered & evidence is patchy abcnews.go.com/International/…

Others believe it was news about his brother that triggered the episode. In his 2016 book, "Studio of the South: Van Gogh in Provence," Martin Bailey agrees Van Gogh cut off his own ear off & argues he did it after learning about his brother Theo's engagement. (Theo in 1888)

Theo Van Gogh was Vincent's principle means of both financial and moral support, and his announcement could have caused the artist considerable distress. Vincent didn’t write to congratulate his brother until a month later - but this could just mean he didn’t get the news in Dec

Van Gogh was taken to hospital following the incident & his brother rushed to be with him. He wrote... “'I found Vincent in the hospital in Arles. The people around him realized from his agitation that for the past few days he had been showing symptoms...”

“of that most dreadful illness of madness, and an attack of fièvre chaude, when he injured himself with a knife, was the reason he was taken to hospital. Will he remain insane? The doctors think it possible, but daren’t yet say for certain.”

(Theo van Gogh, 28 December 1888)

Van Gogh remembered little about the ear incident and when he was discharged from the hospital in early January 1889, he resumed painting.

In the months that followed, however, his mental health started to decline rapidly. Fearing a fresh bout of illness, he had himself voluntarily admitted to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy in May.

After he discharged himself and moved to the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, he came under the care of the homeopathic doctor Paul Gachet. His depression worsens and Van Gogh died by suicide on 27 July 1890.

Gabrielle Berlatier married soon after the incident and lived well into old age - keeping her traumatic encounter with Van Gogh a secret.

amp.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…