On July 27, 1890, while living in the French village Auvers-sur-Oise, van Gogh walked into a field and shot himself in the abdomen. The particular mental and/or physical illness van Gogh suffered from isn’t known-though a doctor did once diagnose him with a form of epilepsy-but suggestions include dementia, hallucinatory psychosis, alcoholism, syphilis, turpentine poisoning, schizophrenia, manic-depressive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and more. Van Gogh’s auricular accident of 1888 may be due to the fact that he was likely dealing with an undiagnosed health issue at the time. It's believed that Vincent van Gogh used this gun when he died by suicide in 1890. Vincent van Gogh died from a (likely) self-inflicted gunshot wound in France. Circumstances notwithstanding, van Gogh then brought his mutilated ear to a woman in a nearby brothel-long thought to be a prostitute, though recent evidence suggests she was likely a barmaid-and asked her to guard it carefully. Some even think it was Gauguin who did the slicing.Īlso, while it’s possible that van Gogh only lopped off the lobe, his physician sketched an image that shows van Gogh’s entire ear is missing. The leading theory is that van Gogh was distraught after a quarrel with Gauguin, though others believe it was a reaction to learning his beloved brother Theo was getting married.

Art Media/Print Collector/Getty ImagesĮverybody agrees the infamous incident took place on December 23, 1888, while van Gogh was living in Arles, France, with fellow painter Paul Gauguin, but there are several theories as to why van Gogh took a knife or razor to his own ear that fateful night-as well as how much he cut off, and who was the recipient of history’s most revolting gift. 'Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear' by Vincent van Gogh, painted in 1889.

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