Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh

Van Gogh moved from Paris to Arles in hopes of creating a community for artists to exist in mutual supportiveness and encouragement. He invited Paul Gauguin, an artist whom he had befriended in Paris, to come stay with him. They proved to be a disagreeable pair and quarrelled often, sometimes violently. The evening of December 23, 1888 during one of their arguments, Van Gogh had a seizure during which he threatened Gauguin with a razor, but then injured himself, severing part of his left ear. In a state of excitement, he then brought the dismembered lobe to the ‘Maison de Tolérance bordello’ where he presented it to a prostitute named Tiffany. When Gauguin returned the following morning, he discovered that the police had arrived at the house, and blood was splattered in every room. Van Gogh had severed an artery in his neck, and was in grave health after losing so much blood. He was removed to the hospital, and he confessed to having no recollection of what happened during this fit. Throughout his life, Van Gogh continued to suffer from similar fits, sometimes characterized by acute paranoia.

Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Dimensions: 51 x 45 cm
Location: Gallery at Somerset House
Created: 1889
Medium: Oil on Canvas