Could anyone tell me what sort of emotions Van Gogh was feeling when he painted this? Would you say he looks depressed? What does this painting say about the artist and how he was feeling when he painted it?
Thanks. x
2007-10-06 05:16:06 · 18 answers · asked by annoymous 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Painting
Before VVG cut off his ear, he had been suffering from dementia. Cutting off his ear was how he dealt with the stress. If he were schizophrenic, he may have hacked off his ear to cut off the voices he was hearing. He nearly died from this self mutilation. I think the bandaged ear represents healing for the man who became creative after the dementia.I think it represents relief. He looks relieved...not happy...just relieved.
2007-10-06 05:28:52 · answer #1 · answered by black57 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is why Van Gogh cut off his ear - he was living at the time in a studio he had set up called 'The Yellow House' in Arles. He had hoped it would become an artists community, and at the time he was playing host to fellow expressionist Paul Gogain. V.G. was really excited about Gogain coming and this was when he painted his series of sunflower paintings - to decorate his room. They spent a lot of time drinking and arguing which didn't help V.G.'s mental health. His self esteem hit rock bottom when Gogain won the heart of a woman he was interested in. he cut off his ear as a gesture of his own defeat - this was what Spanish bull fighters did to show that they had defeated a bull. V.G. cut off his ear and threw it at Gogain. The painting is of a man with poor mental health - probably v. empty and depressed.
2007-10-06 07:04:48 · answer #2 · answered by eilkyl34 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I always got the impression that at the time he was a starving artist. So I guess he needed something to eat.
As for looking depressed/ Well how would you look if you'd just cut your ear off?!
Don't know what the painting says to you, but whatever it said to him, he couldn't hear it very well!
2007-10-06 06:38:11 · answer #3 · answered by jacyinbg 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Van gogh had just cut off his ear as a sign of his adoration of a young girl and he actually handed it to her in a box and naturally she was repulsed and probably quite scared. but look at the psychology of it, she literally physically rejected him, by throwning this 'gift' back at him.
i'm quite sure he was absolutely desolate and heartbroken... how do you think you would feel? if the person who you loved was so repulsed by a part of your body granted you probably wont cut part of yours off but the emotions would be the same.
2007-10-09 01:59:49 · answer #4 · answered by dom c 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Van Gogh was mentally unstable. He was a very passionate person who suffered extremes of emotion all his life.
You should read his letters to his brother Theo. They will give some idea of his emotional state.
2007-10-06 05:29:02 · answer #5 · answered by Andrew L 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He painted the wrong ear with the bandage on it because he was looking at a mirror while painting . FACT!
2007-10-06 05:25:43 · answer #6 · answered by Ben H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think he didn't like himself very much anymore.
I think the painting has an objectivity and cold feeling in his look that are terrible. He probably was aware of what was happening to him. I think it is a very lucid painting, maybe too much so.
2007-10-06 08:37:05 · answer #7 · answered by Roxi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I reckon he was pretty depressed having just cut his ear off and all.
He was apparently suffer some sort of psychosis due to over indulgence in absinthe
2007-10-06 05:19:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He painted his self many times, I think he may have been feeling frustration. But that's just my opinion.
2007-10-06 08:58:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He was always depressed, because he suffered that disease, i think he was just needing to be in a picture(he was in a lot, he made almost 60 self pictures) to be remained, all of we want that, he was pretty sick but no one saw that in the past.
2007-10-06 05:29:25 · answer #10 · answered by expensive 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋