The kids and I saw this iris on our way home. It was the lone blossom from an area of bare earth…I had to stop and snap…I rarely see them around here. Irises remind me of Van Gogh because at one point, I think that was 14 years ago, I made a copy of his piece Irises during art class (watercolor). I learned to admire the work and the artist in the process…
We accepted that Van Gogh was troubled, cut off his ear, admitted to an asylum and finally took on his life as history books and film portrayals had it. Now, 121 years after, two authors – Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith argue that Van Gogh did not commit suicide. The inconsistencies in the stories surrounding the artists’ life prompted them to do extensive research.
The biography Van Gogh: The Life by Naifeh and White Smith challenges the belief that Vincent van Gogh died by suicide. After a decade of research involving over 20 translators and researchers, the authors argue he was likely accidentally shot by two boys with a malfunctioning gun. They suggest Van Gogh took the blame to protect the boys.
Their theory points to details such as the oblique angle of the gunshot wound, inconsistent with a typical suicide, and accounts from the 1930s by art historian John Rewald. The boys, one of whom played “cowboy” with the faulty gun, reportedly drank with Van Gogh, supporting the possibility of accidental homicide.
Van Gogh Museum curator Leo Jansen called the claim “intriguing” but cautioned that unanswered questions remain, making it premature to dismiss the suicide narrative.
The biography also offers new insights into Van Gogh’s life:
- His family attempted to confine him to an asylum before his voluntary commitment.
- He had a volatile relationship with his father, leading to accusations of patricide.
- His mental struggles, combining mania and depression, may have stemmed from a form of epilepsy.
Co-author Gregory White Smith suggested Van Gogh’s acceptance of death stemmed from love for his brother Theo, who financially supported the struggling artist. Despite his mental and financial challenges, the authors argue Van Gogh’s art is an even greater testament to his resilience and brilliance.
The research drew on previously untranslated letters and a database of 28,000 notes to construct a nuanced portrait of the artist.
Read about it here. We may never know what really transpired in the artist’s life but we know how great of an artist he was.
