h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It may interest you to learn that, according to a german expert, who says she is going to publish a book about it later this year, it was not van Gogh himself but his drunkard of a "friend" Paul Gauguin, who cut off van Goghs ear.

Then again. It may not...

Damn it - I hope not. It's much more amusing/sinister as it stands. All the same, I wonder what he actually said when he handed over the ear - 'look dear, my ear', or 'ouch. My best friend just removed my ear', or...

I'm sorry. It's late.

I don't know all the details just yet, but according to this expert van Gogh told the police he cut of the ear himself. "You just can't trust him", the expert says, "he was a notorious liar!"

She may have a point, but - unless she has a time machine - how will she ever prove it?

And how can we prove the of Loch Ness does not exist?

I read about this too! Historians are divided, but according to author Rita Wildegans this is what happened:

Van Gogh asked artists to join him in Arles but none wanted to. Gauguin only went after Theo paid for his ticket. He intended to stay 6 months and bought his fencing gear.

They seem to have had a row after drinking absinthe and the police were called. Van Gogh was lying in bed seemingly dead. The police accused Gauguin of killing him but Van Gogh was woken up.

Van Gogh could remember nothing and Gauguin's statement to police is the only account. He later claimed to have seen Van Gogh wandering through Arles brandishing the cut-throat razor with which he is believed to have severed his ear. This is not in the police statement, and the author cliams other inconsistencies.

Gauguin left Arles quickly without his belongings or waiting for Theo Van Gogh. He later wrote from Paris asking for his belongings, including his fencing mask and gloves - but not his foil. Had he got rid of it?

That's the theory anyway! What do you reckon?

I wonder how many will lend an ear to ms. Wildegans story (sorry )

You know that Wildegans means "wild goose"?

Well I read in the Sunday Times. Could be a wild goose chase though.
*checks date*

I'm an 'Observer' girl myself; but that's because I'm a wishy-washy liberal 'Guardian' reader during the week.

Me too, but I have "Arts and Letters" as my home page, so I picked up the link from there.
(Also counting the days until the 16th, but from the other side of the wall - good luck Em!)

Say what?

A-level results...

Ooooh!

I believe it was Vincent's right ear that was damaged and as he was right handed he would most likely cut a piece off his left ear if he had done it himself. That leaves friend Gaugin as the number one suspect.
I don't think we need a so-called German expert to write a whole book to tell us that!

What do you know about the murder of Mozart? Was it the Austrian secret police or the Freemasons? My money's on the secret police. Salieri is not even in the frame.