Timeline Sunday 23 December 1888

Events on Sunday 23 December 1888 2

• 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.