Stranger than fiction: Gauguin cut off Van Gogh's Ear

[p0wdermonkey]

Just for once, I really thought I'd made something up. But no. There is no fanfic notion so slashy or cracktastic that it can't form the basis of someone's academic publication. Swiftly followed by someone else's newspaper article:
Was truth the biggest casualty in the case of Vincent and his severed ear?.

But who was the kohl-eyed stranger who

Comments

[soubie]

HAH! I was thinking of messaging to ask you if you'd seen that. Saved me a job.
Beats me what they think they know about it, but who cares?

[p0wdermonkey]

I imagine their thought processes were a bit like mine: "wouldn't it be more fun if they'd had a big fight? Hey! There's nothing to prove they didn't." Will Gauguin now be famous as the ear slicer offer, I wonder?

[fandomfan]

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

There is clearly research to be done on the whole situation. I contend that further research will show the mysterious Philothée O'Neddy was conveniently in Arles around that time.

[p0wdermonkey]

It gets better!
Viva_gloria found a link that says they were fighting outside a brothel (obviously, VG was jealous because G wanted to go inside). And this took ten years or research to figure out! (See edit.)

[ladymouse2]

Oh, good gracious! Truth--or at least semi-informed speculation--being stranger than fiction???

Heh, I suppose the main thing is that, given Gauguin's utterly selfish and volatile personality (and VG's being so volatile and too often irrational) it's at least PLAUSIBLE.

A great mystery how such an abysmal person as Gauguin could produce such vibrant, life-affirming work. But also true of say, Wagner, a rat who could outdo Gauguin in the bastard sweepstakes yet produce such music that even those who hated him worshiped.

Ahem, but of course after Van Gogh all artists had to be "tortured geniuses"; nobody ever talks about Manet, Monet or Corot. The Pre-Raphaelites? a hotbed of diaries on their intrigues. Rubins? Forget him, he was happily married.

[p0wdermonkey]

I think it's totally plausible. It kind of jumps out as a possiblity when you read about the incident. But putting 10 years of research into proving the unprovable? I say, save it for fanfic!

[ladymouse2]

>But putting 10 years of research into proving the unprovable?<

Definitely in the category of figuring out how many angels can dance on the head of a pin...

Mind you, that's without first establishing whether they can dance in the first place.

[justawench]

I so thought of you when I saw that headline on Fark.com! I need to go back and read your story again so I'll know what really happened. ;)

[p0wdermonkey]

*nods* Yep, every word is true.

[mary684]

*gigglesnort*

[p0wdermonkey]

heh!