Why did Van Gogh cut off his ear?

Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'

Vincent van Gogh was a brilliant but emotionally troubled artist who suffered from depression and epileptoid seizures. He spent a particularly prolific and successful year in Arles, France; in October 1888, his friend and fellow painter Paul Gauguin joined him there. After a couple of months, though, the two began arguing. After one particularly bitter quarrel, Gauguin left Arles, and in a fit of anger and remorse, on this date in 1888, Van Gogh sliced off the lower half of his left ear with a razor. Though he was under doctors' care, Van Gogh's turbulent behavior didn't improve. In July 1890, after arguing with one of his physicians, he shot himself in the chest. Van Gogh died two days later. He had produced over a thousand paintings and drawings, but only managed to sell one in his lifetime.

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