The Mystery Surrounding Van Gogh and Absinthe
There are speculations that Gogh was not only addicted to absinthe but a varieties of turpenes, the chemical liquid commonly used as a paint thinner. Many a times, when Gogh’s physical suffering due to epileptic seizures became unbearable, he tried to commit suicide by drinking kerosene or paints. The lead present in the paints used by Gogh also found its way into his body, as Gogh was habituated to nibble the paint chips while painting, totally unaware of the havoc that lead poisoning was having on his already frail body. Though he survived such suicide attempts, before he ultimately met his fateful end in 1890, he suffered from serious lead poisoning. Lead poisoning was also known to cause people to see “haloes” a medical condition termed as corona. “The Starry Nights”, one of Gogh’s well known paintings abounds in such haloes.
Gogh had an unusual style of painting as he painted with a sense of urgency, quite unlike the painters of those times. He used colors directly from the tubes containing the paints and spread the colors using thick strokes of the brush, creating somewhat of a graphic effect. It is reported that he created one painting a day in the last 70 days of his life. Some reports suggest that van Gogh succeeded in selling only one painting in his entire life, but it is believed that he sold many more paintings.
One of Gogh’s well known incidences for which people know him better than for his paintings, is that under the influence of absinthe, he ripped off his left ear (the lower part of the ear) and offered it to a prostitute. But some art historians say that he actually committed this act out of anguish at losing a very dear colleague, who was a fellow painter by the name Paul Gauguin, with whom Gogh spent a significant part of his life. It is believed that once under the influence of absinthe, Gogh made a life threatening attack on Paul. This, and many other instances of erratic behavior of Gogh with his friend Paul, mostly under the influence of absinthe and alcohol, finally caused Paul to part ways with Gogh, who after their separation again became a loner.
Though Gogh was known to be an avid absinthe fan, his vast collection of letters did not speak highly about absinthe and the absinthe drinkers, contradicting his love and addiction for the drink further adding to the mystery of van Gogh and the role of absinthe in his life and art.
Medical reports suggested that drinking absinthe or any other alcohol made van Gogh more erratic and more susceptible to bouts of depression and manic attacks. It was perhaps during one such occasion that he committed suicide in 1890 and the world lost an artist, whose “Expressionistic” style of painting inspired by the work of the impressionists of his era, would, many years after his death, would win him wide acclaim and appreciation, a feeling for which he craved his entire life!