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| vincent van gogh |
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| Starry Night, 1889 |
| When in Arles, Vincent took a room at the Caf� de la Gare at 10 Place Lamartine in early May of 1888 and rented his famous "Yellow House" (2 Place Lamartine) as a studio and storage area. Vincent spent a disproportionate amount of his money on art supplies instead of the basic necessities of life. Malnourished and overworked, Van Gogh's health declined early October, but he was heartened upon receiving confirmation that Gauguin would join him in the south. |
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| The next two months would be pivotal, and disastrous, for both Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Initially Van Gogh and Gauguin got on well together, painting on the outskirts of Arles, discussing their art and differing techniques. As the weeks passed, however, the weather deteriorated and the pair found themselves compelled to stay indoors more and more frequently. As always, Vincent's temperament (and most likely Gauguin's as well) fluctuated to match the weather. The relationship between Van Gogh and Gauguin deteriorated throughout December. Their heated arguments became more and more frequent - relations between the pair declined in tandem with Vincent's state of mental health |
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| Wheat Field with Crows, 1890 |
| On 23 December Vincent van Gogh, in an irrational fit of madness, mutilated the lower portion of his left ear. He severed the lobe with a razor, wrapped it in cloth and then took it to a brothel and presented it to one of the women there. Vincent then staggered back to the Yellow House where he collapsed. He was discovered by the police and hospitalized at the H�tel-Dieu hospital in Arles. After sending a telegram to Theo, Gauguin left immediately for Paris, choosing not to visit Van Gogh in the hospital. Van Gogh and Gauguin would later correspond from time to time, but would never meet in person again. |
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| Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe, 1889 |