Gauguin 'cut off Van Gogh's ear'

[DioxazinePlum]

This is a little random, but I found the idea very interesting

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8033650.stm

What do you guys think about the idea?  

[Pink Rain Today]

What I learned for a research project was that he flipped out, tried to hurt his friend with the razor, and then cut it off in madness and presented it to a whore.

That seems the most correct to me, but maybe, there is ever-so slight truth, that his friend accidentally did such [mutilation of Gogh's ear] when trying to disarm him.

-Shrugs- I think we should really stop messing around with what we've known for so many years.

"If your stomach feels weak my work here is DONE."

 

[black_wing_angel]

Pink Rain Today

What I learned for a research project was that he flipped out, tried to hurt his friend with the razor, and then cut it off in madness and presented it to a whore.

"Hey baby, need an ear?"

Quote:

That seems the most correct to me, but maybe, there is ever-so slight truth, that his friend accidentally did such [mutilation of Gogh's ear] when trying to disarm him.

That doesn't seem too far fetched, to me.  

[village midget]

i go with the new version of events.

Gaugin was notoriously a violently aggressive and drunk man. it is well known that he was one of Van Goghs only friends...it is also known that they had an enourmous fight and then Gaugin left for Tahiti...Van Gogh killed himself while he was there.

it's entirely possible that the 'famous' falling out was not the only one, and i don't think it's such a stretch to think that he would have covered up for Gaugin, as one of his only friends, so that Gaugin didn't go to jail.

the whole thing of sending his ear to a woman as a declaration of love never rang true for me..it seems much more sensible that he would have given the evidence to a prostitute (and therefore less than fond of the law) he was friends with to hide it from the police in the heat of the moment, or that he even took it to her in a drunken state afterwards to see if she could reattatch it as she was his companion...Van Gogh had absolutely no money and would not have been able to go to the doctor.

@pink rain, regarding messing about with what has been known for so many years - in this case it matters in a trivial way, it means that Van Gogh was not as totally insane as we though he was...which casts a different light on his work...
...in other cases of not reinvestigating history it is ridiculously important - if nobody challenged things which had been accepted for years as true we would still have slavery the USA would still be part of the British empire, women would still be illiterate non-voting baby machines, we would have no antibiotics, no microwaves, no internet... so it's important.  

[DioxazinePlum]

village midget

i go with the new version of events.

Gaugin was notoriously a violently aggressive and drunk man. it is well known that he was one of Van Goghs only friends...it is also known that they had an enourmous fight and then Gaugin left for Tahiti...Van Gogh killed himself while he was there.

it's entirely possible that the 'famous' falling out was not the only one, and i don't think it's such a stretch to think that he would have covered up for Gaugin, as one of his only friends, so that Gaugin didn't go to jail.

the whole thing of sending his ear to a woman as a declaration of love never rang true for me..it seems much more sensible that he would have given the evidence to a prostitute (and therefore less than fond of the law) he was friends with to hide it from the police in the heat of the moment, or that he even took it to her in a drunken state afterwards to see if she could reattatch it as she was his companion...Van Gogh had absolutely no money and would not have been able to go to the doctor.

@pink rain, regarding messing about with what has been known for so many years - in this case it matters in a trivial way, it means that Van Gogh was not as totally insane as we though he was...which casts a different light on his work...
...in other cases of not reinvestigating history it is ridiculously important - if nobody challenged things which had been accepted for years as true we would still have slavery the USA would still be part of the British empire, women would still be illiterate non-voting baby machines, we would have no antibiotics, no microwaves, no internet... so it's important.

Here, here. In any case, I thought there were two conflicting theories, he cut it off himself, and the fight. So it doesn't seem like "something we've known for years"  

[black_wing_angel]

DioxazinePlum

village midget

i go with the new version of events.

Gaugin was notoriously a violently aggressive and drunk man. it is well known that he was one of Van Goghs only friends...it is also known that they had an enourmous fight and then Gaugin left for Tahiti...Van Gogh killed himself while he was there.

it's entirely possible that the 'famous' falling out was not the only one, and i don't think it's such a stretch to think that he would have covered up for Gaugin, as one of his only friends, so that Gaugin didn't go to jail.

the whole thing of sending his ear to a woman as a declaration of love never rang true for me..it seems much more sensible that he would have given the evidence to a prostitute (and therefore less than fond of the law) he was friends with to hide it from the police in the heat of the moment, or that he even took it to her in a drunken state afterwards to see if she could reattatch it as she was his companion...Van Gogh had absolutely no money and would not have been able to go to the doctor.

@pink rain, regarding messing about with what has been known for so many years - in this case it matters in a trivial way, it means that Van Gogh was not as totally insane as we though he was...which casts a different light on his work...
...in other cases of not reinvestigating history it is ridiculously important - if nobody challenged things which had been accepted for years as true we would still have slavery the USA would still be part of the British empire, women would still be illiterate non-voting baby machines, we would have no antibiotics, no microwaves, no internet... so it's important.

Here, here. In any case, I thought there were two conflicting theories, he cut it off himself, and the fight. So it doesn't seem like "something we've known for years"

Actually, the expression is "Hear, Hear" as in, "Hear him! Hear him!". It's a common mistake.

And yeah, both explanations seem credible, to me.  

[JettaKD]

I've heard several versions from one of my art history professors. It's entirely possible that Gaugin cut off van Gogh's ear, and Vincent went into the streets in shock and while under such mental stress, just threw his ear away to the first person he saw. It wouldn't be terribly surprising I think.  

[Hydra Alpharius]

Well regardless of whatever happened, Gogh is still missing an ear and a whore still has an extra one.  

[village midget]

JettaKD

I've heard several versions from one of my art history professors. It's entirely possible that Gaugin cut off van Gogh's ear, and Vincent went into the streets in shock and while under such mental stress, just threw his ear away to the first person he saw. It wouldn't be terribly surprising I think.

i can see that too, imagine the shock of holding your own ear...you would just put it down or hand it to a passer by without really thinking i expect...god that would hurt!

*groans at "hear hear" pun and wonders if gaugin is mr blonde*  

[Misses Brinks]

I honestly could care less how a man lost his ear.
It doesn't really change my outlook on his art.  

[Fresnel]

Misses Brinks

I honestly could care less how a man lost his ear.
It doesn't really change my outlook on his art.

Yeah, I kind of have to agree. Why does how he lost his ear matter so much? Or is it just something people want to know for the sake of knowing it?  

[magmayoshi]

Fresnel

Misses Brinks

I honestly could care less how a man lost his ear.
It doesn't really change my outlook on his art.

Yeah, I kind of have to agree. Why does how he lost his ear matter so much? Or is it just something people want to know for the sake of knowing it?

Eh boredom, free time, and if you let one lie go there might as well be ******** unicorns. The usual BS, curiosity and people just like ******** up s**t making the costs of said paintings swing one way or another.  

[village midget]

magmayoshi

Fresnel

Misses Brinks

I honestly could care less how a man lost his ear.
It doesn't really change my outlook on his art.

Yeah, I kind of have to agree. Why does how he lost his ear matter so much? Or is it just something people want to know for the sake of knowing it?

Eh boredom, free time, and if you let one lie go there might as well be ******** unicorns. The usual BS, curiosity and people just like ******** up s**t making the costs of said paintings swing one way or another.

that, and - for some people - there is more value to Van Gogh's work because they believed he produced admirable paintings whilst being so craven with mental illness and out of touch with reality that he cut off his own ear.

it's a bit like feeling that a painting done by a child is very good, even though the standard is terrible when compared with all the other art out there, because you make concessions for the fact it was painted by a child... eg. "that is incredible considering it was done by a six year old".

if Van Gogh wasn't really so mad that he was struggling with reality, and he was just your average depressed soul, perhaps his paintings are less impressive...  

[Misses Brinks]

village midget

magmayoshi

Fresnel

Misses Brinks

I honestly could care less how a man lost his ear.
It doesn't really change my outlook on his art.

Yeah, I kind of have to agree. Why does how he lost his ear matter so much? Or is it just something people want to know for the sake of knowing it?

Eh boredom, free time, and if you let one lie go there might as well be ******** unicorns. The usual BS, curiosity and people just like ******** up s**t making the costs of said paintings swing one way or another.

that, and - for some people - there is more value to Van Gogh's work because they believed he produced admirable paintings whilst being so craven with mental illness and out of touch with reality that he cut off his own ear.

it's a bit like feeling that a painting done by a child is very good, even though the standard is terrible when compared with all the other art out there, because you make concessions for the fact it was painted by a child... eg. "that is incredible considering it was done by a six year old".

if Van Gogh wasn't really so mad that he was struggling with reality, and he was just your average depressed soul, perhaps his paintings are less impressive...

Makes sense. :/
Like that painting the elephant did I suppose..?  

[village midget]

Misses Brinks

village midget

magmayoshi

Fresnel

Misses Brinks

I honestly could care less how a man lost his ear.
It doesn't really change my outlook on his art.

Yeah, I kind of have to agree. Why does how he lost his ear matter so much? Or is it just something people want to know for the sake of knowing it?

Eh boredom, free time, and if you let one lie go there might as well be ******** unicorns. The usual BS, curiosity and people just like ******** up s**t making the costs of said paintings swing one way or another.

that, and - for some people - there is more value to Van Gogh's work because they believed he produced admirable paintings whilst being so craven with mental illness and out of touch with reality that he cut off his own ear.

it's a bit like feeling that a painting done by a child is very good, even though the standard is terrible when compared with all the other art out there, because you make concessions for the fact it was painted by a child... eg. "that is incredible considering it was done by a six year old".

if Van Gogh wasn't really so mad that he was struggling with reality, and he was just your average depressed soul, perhaps his paintings are less impressive...

Makes sense. :/
Like that painting the elephant did I suppose..?

eek pardon? lol, what elephant?