Vincent van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe

What is the symbolism behind van Gogh's self-portrait with a bandaged ear?

A. Mental distress due to physical pain

B. Celebration of his artistic talent

C. Expression of joy and happiness

D. Representation of his love for nature

Answer:

The symbolism behind van Gogh's self-portrait with a bandaged ear is A. Mental distress due to physical pain.

Vincent van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear conveys a poignant reflection of the artist's troubled state after severing his ear, capturing a feeling of aspiration amidst personal turmoil.

Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear conveys a complex mixture of emotions and narratives. After the traumatic event of severing his own ear, Van Gogh created this artwork as a reflection of his physical and mental state during that period. In this self-portrait, he is depicted with his right ear bandaged, although it was actually his left ear that he cut off, because the artwork is a mirror image. The portrait includes a fur cap and coat, a Japanese woodblock print in the background, and an unfinished canvas, which suggests the continuation of artistic endeavor despite personal turmoil. The repeated triangles, internal frames, and the composition's constrained space contribute to an aspirational, yet hemmed-in and somewhat claustrophobic, quality. This portrait was painted shortly before Van Gogh's institutionalization, indicating a poignant hiatus in his troubled life.