Was Van Gogh’s mutilation of his ear connected to his brother’s engagement? – The Art Newspaper

Vincent van Gogh had conflicting feelings when he heard that his brother Theo had obtained engaged to Jo Bonger in December 1888. The 2 brothers have been very shut and he was delighted that Theo had discovered happiness.

However it was this very closeness that created issues: Vincent was depending on his brother and feared that he would lose his monetary and emotional assist. The marriage occurred on 18 April 1889, so subsequent week marks the anniversary.

It has normally been assumed that Vincent didn’t hear about Theo’s engagement till after he had slashed his ear on 23 December 1888—however I imagine the information in all probability reached the artist earlier that exact same day. From a remark that Vincent made a month later, it’s recognized that on 23 December he had acquired a letter from Theo in Paris, the place his brother was an artwork supplier. The envelope which contained this letter might be the one depicted in a still-life which Vincent painted in mid-January.

Though the letter which arrived on 23 December has been misplaced, it appears extremely seemingly that Theo’s relationship with Jo was talked about. The 2 brothers shared confidences, and it’s tough to imagine that Theo wouldn’t have revealed his engagement, or no less than dropped a really sturdy trace. It was within the late night of 23 December that Van Gogh mutilated his ear.

When Theo visited Vincent within the Arles hospital on Christmas Day he advised Jo afterwards that he had talked about her and their plans, and that Vincent “evidently knew who and what I meant”. This means that Vincent was already conscious of the engagement, by which case it should have come from the letter he had acquired on 23 December.

If Vincent had been comfortable in regards to the impending marriage, it appears extraordinarily unlikely that he would have sliced off a part of his ear a couple of hours later, regardless that he was dealing with different difficulties, together with deteriorating relations along with his housemate Paul Gauguin.

Vincent’s reactions

Theo wrote to Jo on 1 January, recounting his go to to the hospital on Christmas Day: “Once I requested whether or not he accredited of our plans, he mentioned sure, however that marriage ought to not be thought to be the primary object in life.” Hardly an enthusiastic remark.

On this letter, Theo then added: “Final yr he [Vincent] stored urging me to attempt to marry you, so I imagine that in several circumstances, if he knew what issues have been like between us, he would give his wholehearted approval.” Once more, this means that Vincent’s response within the hospital had been cool.

The next day, 2 January, Vincent wrote his first letter to Theo for the reason that ear incident. This included a passing reference to the engagement, though couched in quite obtuse phrases. Vincent ended his quick comment by including, “as for me, I’m content material to stay as I’m”. This presumably referred to his personal failure to maintain relationships with girls.

Vincent remained in hospital till 7 January. Two days later, on his return to the Yellow Home, he wrote once more to Theo. This was the very day of his brother’s engagement get together in Amsterdam. Vincent’s message was terse, saying that he had already written to Jo with “honest congratulations”, so he merely needed to “repeat them right here to you” (Vincent’s letter to Jo doesn’t survive).

Regardless of Vincent’s struggling, this was hardly an effusive response. All through his life he apprehensive always about monetary issues. He should have been involved that Theo would have much less cash to ship him in his common allowance, which he had acquired for practically eight years. This money was important in permitting him to work as an artist, since he was unable to promote his work. Vincent additionally apprehensive that he was a monetary burden on his brother.

Simply as importantly, Vincent feared that he would lose the emotional assist of Theo, the one member of the family to whom he was shut. Theo can be rather more intimately tied up along with his new spouse.

This attitude on Vincent’s response to information of the engagement is backed up by a a lot later account by the son of Theo and Jo, Vincent Willem. He wrote within the Fifties: “The difficulty with Gauguin in Arles began proper after Vincent heard from Theo that he supposed to marry… It should have handed by his [Vincent’s] thoughts that he would lose his assist.”

The engagement wouldn’t have been the basic explanation for Vincent’s psychological well being disaster, since he most certainly had severe underlying psychological well being circumstances, along with his latest difficulties with Gauguin. However I imagine the approaching marriage was in all probability a set off.

These ideas could have proved a long-term emotional burden for Theo’s son, Vincent Willem, who was born in January 1890, simply over 9 months after the marriage— although this stays hypothesis.

Totally different instructions

Whereas Theo and Jo have been planning their new life collectively and shifting into their shared condo in Paris, Vincent was pondering his personal future. The marriage occurred in Amsterdam on 18 April 1889, at a time when Vincent was nonetheless in no situation to journey and be current. Though the bodily wound on his ear had healed, the psychological scars remained. On 8 Could Vincent moved into the asylum simply outdoors Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Each Vincent and the brand new couple should have been solely too conscious of how their separate lives had all of a sudden modified. When Jo wrote to Theo from the Netherlands on 16 March 1889, a month earlier than the marriage, she was wanting ahead to dwelling together with her cherished one. Utilizing language of the time, she then referred to Vincent: “It’s harrowing to consider him being in an establishment when the spring comes, with excessive partitions throughout and nobody however lunatics for firm.”

Different Van Gogh information:

Sotheby’s is to public sale the drawing Sower in Paris on 10 April. The estimate is €300,000-€400,000. The drawing has solely been exhibited as soon as, in 1960, and has been with the current proprietor since 1968.

Martin Bailey is a number one Van Gogh specialist and particular correspondent for The Artwork Newspaper. He has curated exhibitions on the Barbican Artwork Gallery, Compton Verney/Nationwide Gallery of Scotland and Tate Britain.

Martin has written quite a few bestselling books on Van Gogh’s years in France: The Sunflowers Are Mine: The Story of Van Gogh’s Masterpiece (Frances Lincoln 2013, UK and US), Studio of the South: Van Gogh in Provence (Frances Lincoln 2016, UK and US), Starry Evening: Van Gogh on the Asylum (White Lion Publishing 2018, UK and US) and Van Gogh’s Finale: Auvers and the Artist’s Rise to Fame (Frances Lincoln 2021, UK and US). The Sunflowers are Mine (2024, UK and US) and Van Gogh’s Finale (2024, UK and US) are additionally now obtainable in a extra compact paperback format.

His different latest books embrace Residing with Vincent van Gogh: The Properties & Landscapes that formed the Artist (White Lion Publishing 2019, UK and US), which offers an outline of the artist’s life. The Illustrated Provence Letters of Van Gogh has been reissued (Batsford 2021, UK and US). My Buddy Van Gogh/Emile Bernard offers the primary English translation of Bernard’s writings on Van Gogh (David Zwirner Books 2023, UKand US).

To contact Martin Bailey, please e mail vangogh@theartnewspaper.com

Please observe that he doesn’t undertake authentications.

Discover all of Martin’s adventures with Van Gogh right here