Timeline December 1888

Events in December 1888 3

• 1816 – 1888 Carl Zeiss (1816-1888) Died 3 December 1888, aged 72 Carl Zeiss was a German precision engineer who founded the optical company bearing his name in Jena in 1846. Working with scientist Ernst Abbe, he transformed lens manufacturing from a craft into an applied science. He died in Jena on 3 December 1888, and the company he founded remains a major optics manufacturer today.
• 1888 Van Gogh cuts off his ear After argument with Gauguin Van Gogh cut off part of his left ear on December 23, 1888, following a violent argument with Paul Gauguin. He wrapped it and delivered it to a woman at a local brothel. He was hospitalised and Gauguin fled Arles.
• 1888 Vincent van Gogh severs part of his ear Breakdown in Arles follows clash with Paul Gauguin During a mental health crisis in Arles, France, Vincent van Gogh cut off part of his left ear with a razor on 23 December 1888, following a heated confrontation with fellow painter Paul Gauguin. He wrapped the severed portion and delivered it to a woman at a local brothel before being hospitalized. The episode marked the beginning of the psychiatric struggles that dominated the final years of his life.