The ‘Yellow House’ at the corner of Place Lamartine in the southern French town of Arles was home to Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, two giant post-Impressionist painters of the 19th century. The two-story house, which is not in existence presently, featured in many of Van Gogh’s paintings, including ‘The Yellow House’ (1988) and ‘The Bedroom‘ (1988). Van Gogh had moved from France to Arles with the intent to establish what he called a ‘studio of the South’. He also wished that, besides making it an abode for himself, he could collaborate with some of his fellow painters while familiarizing himself with the countryside.

His Martinique Exerience

Paul Gauguin was in search of ways to distinguish his style from the Parisian scenes of the Impressionists. He set off to Panama on way to the French colony of Martiniquehis, his final destination. During his stay in a hut in Martinique, Gauguin completed seventeen paintings and three sketchbooks. According to a scholar on Gauguin’s style of painting, Gauguin’s experiences in Martinique showed a new palette of vivid colours in his works. The sketchbooks also marked a turning point in Gauguin’s working styles. They acted like image banks for the artist to develop his future painting skills.

Gauguin’s Martinique Magic

The paintings produced by Gauguin in Martinique served as a medium to introduce himself to the Van Gogh brothers. Theo and Vincent Gogh saw the works of Gauguin on display at the apartment of Emile Schuffenecker, an artist friend of Gauguin and the paintings attracted their attention. The Van Gogh brothers decided to acquire the important paintings among the collection on display there. It was Gauguin’s ‘The Mango Trees’ (1887) for which the Van Gogh brothers paid 400 francs.

Exchange of Paintings

The price paid to the painting was more than the brothers had paid to any other work in their contemporary art collection. This painting stayed with Van Gogh’s family long after the death of the Theo brothers and has occupied the pride of place in the home of their descendants. In addition to this purchase transaction, Theo Gogh purchased another well-known Gauguin’s drawing and Vincent Van Gogh traded two of his early sunflower paintings in exchange for Gauguin’s river scene painting.

Theo, Gauguin’s Window to the Art World

Theo Gogh was the managing art dealer of the leading Parisian gallery Boussod, Valadon & Cie. He saw a great opportunity in his burgeoning relationship with Paul Gauguin as he could introduce new and distinctive work to the market. Theo knew that Gauguin’s paintings portraying exotic landscapes with colourful inhabitants could appeal to the Paris Market. This was when Vincent Van Gogh invited Paul Gauguin to his Yellow House in the southern French town of Arles.

Acceptance of Invitation

Paul Gauguin was the one other great painter of that era who accepted Van Gogh’s enthusiastic invitation. The important reason for Gauguin to accept the invitation was that he foresaw the possibility of the most needed financial support from Theo Gaugh, Van Gaugh’s art dealer older brother. However, it is interesting to know how these two mega larger than life stars in the world of painting came together to live under a single roof. When Gauguin received Gogh’s invitation to live with him in Arles, he was living in a French colony of Martinique. He had just ended his nomadic life after traversing many destinations such as Panama and Tahiti.

Theo’s Support for Gauguin’s Success

For Gauguin, his association with Theo proved crucial as it turned out to be an occasion for his representation through a major Perisian dealer. Theo exhibited Gaugin’s work at his gallery regularly and sold many of his paintings. This provided a significant source of income for Gauguin. Van Theo helped Gauguin in establishing him as a major avant-garde player and earn reviews from famous art critics. Gauguin’s paintings started appearing in major art collections. After Theo’s untimely death in 1891, there came an abrupt end to Gauguin’s relationship with Theo. However, Van Gogh continued his brother’s efforts and helped sell Gauguin’s works in the subsequent years. Thus, the Van Gogh brothers were mainly responsible for Gauguin’s success in the initial days.

Mutually Productive Days

During the nine weeks that Van Gogh and Gauguin shared the Yellow House in Arles became highly productive for both the artists. While Van Gogh produced 36 canvases, Gauguin made 21. These paintings included self-portraits of themselves and those of each other. Their 63-day long association certainly cemented their collaborative sentiments firmly. Paul Gauguin gained from his association with Theo Gogh, Van Gogh’s brother, who was a considerably rich art dealer. Theo Gogh became a conduit for exhibiting Gauguin’s paintings and selling them.

Vincent Van Gogh’s Ear

Van Gogh’s ear has been an object of intense discussion, leading historians to come up with different theories. The most widely accepted account is that Van Gogh cut off his ear lobe in a fit of mania after getting into a fight with the fellow artist, Paul Gauguin. However, the latest theory suggests that this story was inaccurate. According to Martin Bailey, a British Van Gogh specialist, Van Gogh sliced off his ear on hearing that his brother Van Theo was engaged. The news of his brother’s marriage was unwelcome news to Van Gogh. Theo Gogh was paying 100 Francs regularly to Van Gogh and he had become the mainstay for Van Gogh’s livelihood. This theory appears true as van Gogh managed to sell only one painting during his lifetime for a paltry 400 Francs.

Van Gogh Cut off His Lobe

Historians believed until recently that Van Gogh cut off the lobe of his left ear. There are innumerable stories surrounding this seemingly uncanny episode. However, the eyewitness report from another great French artist, Paul Signac, should settle the issue once for all. Paul Signac, reportedly, visited van Gogh in the hospital shortly after the incident and wrote in his letter that Van Gogh had ‘cut off the lobe’ and ‘not the whole ear’. In his self-portraits, Van Gogh painted himself with his head covered in wrappings. In his letters, Van Gogh elaborated saying that he spent weeks in the hospital recovering from fever and infection. But the doctor who treated Van Gogh in the hospital had made a drawing that showed a clear incision across the base of the ear. It meant that VanGogh had cut off the whole ear, leaving only a sliver of the lobe.

Ear/Lobe Gifted ?

The story about the ear or the lobe cut off by Van Gogh further said that he ‘gifted’ the bloody appendage to a woman named Rachel, whom Van Gogh found at a brothel. There are quite a few interesting and intriguing versions surrounding the unfortunate ‘ear’ episode. Another version of the story says that Van Gogh gave the ear to a woman outside the brothel and told her to keep the object carefully and the traumatized woman fainted on the spot. Researchers, including the Irish art historian, Bernadette Murphy, believe that there are several other accounts of the incident and these are all not the whole truth.

Camaraderie Unharmed

Gauguin left the Yellow House in Arles when Van Gogh was bleeding in one ear after Van Gogh slashed his own ear. However, their friendship remained somewhat unharmed despite this sorrowful episode. The two painters continued to correspond and respect each other. Theo Gogh’s stayed with Gauguin and represented him as he did before the two artists parted ways. Van Gogh still nursed the notion of painting with Gauguin until his final days. Van Gogh brothers had a collection of Gauguin’s paintings in the home of Theo’s widow. According to the experts, the Van Gogh brothers were responsible for Gauguin’s success in the Parisian art world after his return from Martinique.