Episode 1 of 2

Severing of the Ear

When: 23 December 1888
Where: Arles
Part of: Vincent van Gogh severs part of his ear in Arles

Van Gogh severed his left ear with a razor after an altercation on 23 December 1888, causing severe bleeding.

Following an altercation on the evening of 23 December 1888, Van Gogh returned to his room. He seemingly heard voices and either wholly or in part severed his left ear with a razor. This self-mutilation resulted in severe bleeding and required immediate medical attention.

Sources

Vincent van Gogh Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.