Shocking Truth Revealed: Van Gogh Maybe Did Not Cut His Own Ear Off

It may be the most famous story in art history: Vincent van Gogh, a wacky Dutchman who painted flowers and shot himself in the chest, got extra zany one day and chopped his own ear off.  He then gave it to a prostitute.  But a new book is claiming that that theory just doesn’t add up.  For instance, everyone knows that giving a prostitute a severed body part is considered extremely bad etiquette (like, ShamWow bad).  Also, why would a person cut his own ear off? 

According to the new book Van Gogh’s Ear: Paul Gaugin and the Pact of Silence, the painter Paul Gaugin, a friend of Van G’s, cut the ear off.

Gauguin, an excellent fencer, was planning to leave Van Gogh’s “Yellow House” in Arles, southwestern France, after an unhappy stay.

He had walked out of the house with his baggage and his trusty épée in hand, but was followed by the troubled Van Gogh, who had earlier thrown a glass at him.

As the pair approached a bordello, their row intensified, and Gauguin cut off Van Gogh’s left earlobe with his sword – either in anger or self-defence.

He then threw the weapon in the Rhône. Van Gogh delivered the ear to the prostitute and staggered home, where police discovered him the following day, the new account claims.

Paul Gaugin: great painter.  Bad friend.

Source: The Telegraph.