Van Gogh's ear-cutting may have been over brother's marriage, not Gauguin
A new theory by Martin Bailey, presented in his book 'Studio of the South', suggests Vincent van Gogh's notorious self-mutilation of his ear was triggered by jealousy over his brother Theo's marriage to Johanna Bonger, not by his conflict with Paul Gauguin as previously believed. Bailey's account, reported by The Guardian, posits that van Gogh feared losing his brother's financial and emotional support. After Theo's death in 1891, Johanna, then 29, single-handedly built van Gogh's posthumous fame by translating his letters, donating works, and networking with artists and collectors, turning his then-worthless 200 paintings into a global legacy.
Key facts
- Martin Bailey's book 'Studio of the South' proposes a new reason for van Gogh's ear-cutting.
- The theory claims van Gogh was jealous of his brother Theo's marriage to Johanna Bonger.
- Previously, the act was attributed to van Gogh's conflict with Paul Gauguin.
- Theo van Gogh died of syphilis in 1891, a year after Vincent's suicide.
- Johanna Bonger was left with 200 van Gogh paintings of no economic value at the time.
- Johanna promoted van Gogh's work through donations, exhibitions, and translations of his letters.
- She built relationships with artists, collectors, and museums to establish van Gogh's myth.
- The story was reported by The Guardian and published on Artribune.
- Johanna's efforts are described as an entrepreneurial strategy still relevant today.
Entities
Artists
- Vincent van Gogh
- Paul Gauguin
- Theo van Gogh
- Johanna Bonger
Institutions
- Artribune
- The Guardian
Locations
- Provenza
- Italy