the special letter with drawings of the ear and a dotted line indicating exactly where Van Gogh had injured himself in a fit of madness can be seen from today in Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. one of the document is showpieces of the exhibition the madness near , which elaborates on the possible disease which Van Gogh suffered. it is the first time that the museum dedicates an exhibition to this subject.

it was the Irish amateur researcher Bernadette Murphy, a former teacher, who took back the unique writing in the Bancroft Library of the University of California Berkeley. Doctor Felix Rey, who was an assistant doctor in December 1888 in a hospital in the southern French town of Arles, where Van Gogh was nursed after the tragedy, the letter on August 18, 1930 wrote to the American writer Irving Stone. The author was working on his novel Lust for Life on Van Gogh’s turbulent life, which would be filmed with great success later in 1956 with Kirk Douglas in the leading role.

According to curator Nienke Bakker of the Van Gogh Museum are confirmed by the letter of doctor Rey other statements of eyewitnesses. Both the agent Robert Arles, as the physician Jules Urpar and painter Paul Gauguin was at Van Gogh’s roommate, each had stated that his ear wegsneed to close down his face. The artist took his ear then and brought it by way of gift to a prostitute he knew from the local brothel in Arles.

The confusion that has long existed around the ear of the world famous painter, is claimed baker because other parties involved in Van Gogh claimed that he had cut only a small part of his hearing. Not only Jo Bonger, the widow of Vincent’s brother Theo was holding it. Even Paul Gachet jr. (Son of Van Gogh’s doctor in the northern French Auvers, where he died in 1890) and fellow painter Paul Signac, a friend of Van Gogh testified this.

All the way off the mark truth were other testimonies, says the curator. “Because if we look at medical pictures of other patients who have cut off their ears, it is striking that there is a kind of small oortje’overblijft, which at first glance does not immediately impressed works that so much is gone.”

the show the madness near be seen until 25 September at the Van Gogh Museum.