2oceansvibe News | South African and international news

Sponsored by RSAWeb rss
2ov Radio
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Seth Rotherham
  • du Cap Collection
  • Café du Cap
  • Cabine du Cap
  • Media Packs / Advertising
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Anonymous Tips
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
Seth Rotherham
  • They May Have Finally Figured Out Why Van Gogh Cut Off His Ear

    04 Nov 2020 by Carrie in Art, History, Lifestyle
    Related Posts
    • SA Startup Helps You 'Forge' Paintings By Pierneef, Irma Stern And Van Gogh
    • Friends And Family Of Britney Spears Say She Needs An Intervention ASAP
    • Australia To Legalise Magic Mushrooms And MDMA For Medical Use
    • Japan's Zentai Fetish Might Just Be The Path To Total Freedom
    • Why Springbok Winger Sbu Nkosi Was Missing For Three Weeks

    [imagesource: Art Media / Print Collector / Getty Images]

    First off, and at the risk of sounding like that person that no one wants at their dinner party, it’s not pronounced ‘Van Go’, which sounds more like a command than a surname.

    The pronunciation of the ‘Gogh’ in Van Gogh is phonetically the same as the Scottish word ‘loch’. You can take it a step further by pronouncing it ‘fun KHOKH’, but if Dutch isn’t your first language the former will do.

    That’s a bugbear of mine, so I’m glad we got it out of the way.

    Moving on to more interesting things.

    One of the most widely known facts about Vincent Van Gogh, peddled even by those who know little about art, is that he cut his own ear off in a fit of insanity.

    The circumstances leading up to that insanity have remained largely unknown, although rumours did the rounds that it had something to do with his friend Paul Gauguin’s decision to abandon their planned artist colony in Arles, or because he was distraught after learning of his brother’s engagement.

    Neither of these things is true, according to a new study that claims to have uncovered the reasons for his self-mutilation, says Artnet News.

    Instead, the evidence suggests that he was going through alcohol withdrawal.

    “Those who consume large amounts of alcohol… run the risk of brain function impairment,” explains the study, published by a team led by University Medical Center Groningen psychiatrist Willem A. Nolen in the International Journal of Bipolar Disorders.

    “Moreover, abrupt stopping with excessive alcohol consumption can lead to withdrawal phenomena, including a delirium.”

    Van Gogh’s letters provide evidence as to his alcohol consumption, and his failed efforts to curb it, which suggests alcoholic tendencies.

    “The only thing that comforts and distracts—in my case—as in others, is to stun oneself by taking a stiff drink,” he wrote while living in Arles. “If the storm within roars too loudly, I drink a glass too many to stun myself.”

    Not everybody is on board with the new theory, however.

    A representative of the Van Gogh Museum wrote Artnet News an email contesting the findings.

    “The medical diagnosis of historical figures is full of pitfalls, and our Van Gogh experts are still hesitant when it comes to drawing firm conclusions.”

    The new study is “repeating and combining theses that in themselves are not entirely new,” and were addressed by the museum’s 2016 show, they noted.

    The study does take that into account, stating that although the letters contain a lot of information, they were not written to his doctors, but to friends and family, to reassure them.

    They also concede that his poor mental health likely contributed to the psychotic episode.

    Considering widespread and ongoing debate and the multiple papers and studies that have looked into why Van Gogh behaved the way that he did, I doubt this research will be the last word on the topic.

    [source:artnetnews]

    • ← Footage From ‘Queen Of The South’ Durban Funeral [Video]
    • SARS Is Really Cracking Down On Tax Avoidance  →
    • Tweet
    • Tags:
    • ear
    • madness
    • Mental Health
    • psychosis
    • van gogh
    • Vincent Van Gogh

    Latest News

    • “I’ve Never Experienced Anything Like This” – Canada Engulfed In Smoke Looks Apocalyptic [Images&Videos]

      [imagesource:twitter/mikehudema] Deep wafts of wildfire smoke in Canada have been drift...

    • Whale Swallows Two People On A Kayak In Shocking Video [Video]

      [imagesource:scubanews] If you needed another reason not to venture out onto the ocean,...

    • Thursday Morning Spice

      [imagesource:twitter/vice] Qatar World Cup: Fifa 'Made False Statements' About Carbon...

    • New York Sues Kia & Hyundai After Viral TikTok Challenge Makes Their Cars Easy To Steal

      [imagesource:pxfuel] New York is accusing Kia and Hyundai of 'enabling a spiralling pan...

    • Airport And Tourist Hotspot Stats Show Cape Town Has Reached Full Tourism Recovery Since COVID-19

      [imagesource:wallpaperflare] Cape Town is finally back to its buzzing, bustling self. ...


    • 2oceansvibe Partners

    • CONTACT US
    • GOT A HOT STORY?
    • 2oceansvibe Radio
    • 2oceansvibe Media
    • Media Pack
    • Seth Rotherham
    • Café du Cap
    • Cabine du Cap
    • Cape Town City Accommodation
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Business
    • Media
    • Entertainment
    • Tech/Sci
    • World
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Sport
    • Politics
  • Follow

    2oceansvibe.com is part of the 2oceansVibe Media Group

    DMMA Logo