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

Vincent van Gogh had conflicting emotions when he heard that his brother Theo had got engaged to Jo Bonger in December 1888. The two brothers were very close and he was delighted that Theo had found happiness.

But it was this very closeness that created problems: Vincent was dependent on his brother and feared that he would lose his financial and emotional support. The wedding took place on 18 April 1889, so next week marks the anniversary.

It has usually been assumed that Vincent did not hear about Theo’s engagement until after he had slashed his ear on 23 December 1888—but I believe the news probably reached the artist earlier that very same day. From a comment that Vincent made a month later, it is known that on 23 December he had received a letter from Theo in Paris, where his brother was an art dealer. The envelope which contained this letter may well be the one depicted in a still-life which Vincent painted in mid-January.

Although the letter which arrived on 23 December has been lost, it seems highly likely that Theo’s relationship with Jo was mentioned. The two brothers shared confidences, and it is difficult to believe that Theo would not have revealed his engagement, or at least dropped a very strong hint. It was in the late evening of 23 December that Van Gogh mutilated his ear.

When Theo visited Vincent in the Arles hospital on Christmas Day he told Jo afterwards that he had mentioned her and their plans, and that Vincent “evidently knew who and what I meant”. This suggests that Vincent was already aware of the engagement, in which case it must have come from the letter he had received on 23 December.

If Vincent had been happy about the impending marriage, it seems extremely unlikely that he would have sliced off part of his ear a few hours later, even though he was facing other difficulties, including deteriorating relations with his housemate Paul Gauguin.

Vincent’s reactions

Theo wrote to Jo on 1 January, recounting his visit to the hospital on Christmas Day: “When I asked whether he approved of our plans, he said yes, but that marriage ought not to be regarded as the main object in life.” Hardly an enthusiastic comment.

In this letter, Theo then added: “Last year he [Vincent] kept urging me to try to marry you, so I believe that in different circumstances, if he knew what things were like between us, he would give his wholehearted approval.” Again, this suggests that Vincent’s reaction in the hospital had been cool.

The following day, 2 January, Vincent wrote his first letter to Theo since the ear incident. This included a passing reference to the engagement, although couched in rather obtuse terms. Vincent ended his short remark by adding, “as for me, I’m content to remain as I am”. This presumably referred to his own failure to sustain relationships with women.

Vincent remained in hospital until 7 January. Two days later, on his return to the Yellow House, he wrote again to Theo. This was the very day of his brother’s engagement party in Amsterdam. Vincent’s message was terse, saying that he had already written to Jo with “sincere congratulations”, so he simply wanted to “repeat them here to you” (Vincent’s letter to Jo does not survive).

Despite Vincent’s suffering, this was hardly an effusive reaction. Throughout his life he worried constantly about financial matters. He must have been concerned that Theo would have less money to send him in his regular allowance, which he had received for nearly eight years. This cash was vital in allowing him to work as an artist, since he was unable to sell his paintings. Vincent also worried that he was a financial burden on his brother.

Just as importantly, Vincent feared that he would lose the emotional support of Theo, the only family member to whom he was close. Theo would be much more intimately tied up with his new wife.

This perspective on Vincent’s reaction to news of the engagement is backed up by a much later account by the son of Theo and Jo, Vincent Willem. He wrote in the 1950s: “The trouble with Gauguin in Arles started right after Vincent heard from Theo that he intended to marry… It must have passed through his [Vincent’s] mind that he would lose his support.”

The engagement would not have been the fundamental cause of Vincent’s mental health crisis, since he most likely had serious underlying mental health conditions, in addition to his recent difficulties with Gauguin. But I believe the impending marriage was probably a trigger.

These thoughts may have proved a long-term emotional burden for Theo’s son, Vincent Willem, who was born in January 1890, just over nine months after the wedding— though this remains speculation.

Different directions

While Theo and Jo were planning their new life together and moving into their shared apartment in Paris, Vincent was pondering his own future. The wedding took place in Amsterdam on 18 April 1889, at a time when Vincent was still in no condition to travel and be present. Although the physical wound on his ear had healed, the mental scars remained. On 8 May Vincent moved into the asylum just outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Both Vincent and the new couple must have been only too aware of how their separate lives had suddenly changed. When Jo wrote to Theo from the Netherlands on 16 March 1889, a month before the wedding, she was looking forward to living with her loved one. Using language of the time, she then referred to Vincent: “It’s harrowing to think of him being in an institution when the spring comes, with high walls all around and no one but lunatics for company.”

Other Van Gogh news:

Sotheby’s is to auction the drawing Sower in Paris on 10 April. The estimate is €300,000-€400,000. The drawing has only been exhibited once, in 1960, and has been with the present owner since 1968.

Martin Bailey is a leading Van Gogh specialist and special correspondent for The Art Newspaper. He has curated exhibitions at the Barbican Art Gallery, Compton Verney/National Gallery of Scotland and Tate Britain.

Martin has written a number of 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 Night: Van Gogh at 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 also now available in a more compact paperback format.

His other recent books include Living with Vincent van Gogh: The Homes & Landscapes that shaped the Artist (White Lion Publishing 2019, UK and US), which provides an overview of the artist’s life. The Illustrated Provence Letters of Van Gogh has been reissued (Batsford 2021, UK and US). My Friend Van Gogh/Emile Bernard provides the first English translation of Bernard’s writings on Van Gogh (David Zwirner Books 2023, UKand US).

To contact Martin Bailey, please email vangogh@theartnewspaper.com

Please note that he does not undertake authentications.

Explore all of Martin’s adventures with Van Gogh here