My artefact of choice to reflect about in this essay is Van Gogh’s ‘Self-portrait with a bandaged ear’ which can be found in the Courtauld Gallery in London. Whilst the portrait in itself doesn’t allude to mental health, as the ailment in question is physical, the underlying intention of Van Gogh’s self-mutilation was very much a psychiatric cause. ‘Self-portrait with Damaged Ear’ originates in 1889, and according to The Courtauld Institute of Art (2015) [1], it was painted not long after the painter returned home from the hospital, having self-harmed the appendage. I have chosen this specific painting because of the rising incidences of mental disease in modern times, and because of my fascination in how his volatility has affected his works. Much research has been done into the causes of what he himself termed “the sadness [he] felt at being knocked down by illness” [6] in his letter 798 to his brother Theo van Gogh (1889), whilst he sought help at Saint-Remy asylum, but according to Kalyan B. Bhattacharyya and Saurabh Rai’s article (2015), until this day, “the disease that afflicted and troubled him almost all his life still remains a mystery.” [2]
Vincent Van Gogh was one of the pioneers of post-impressionist art, which highly focussed on symbolic and personal connotations, along with prominent artists like Georges Seurat and Paul Gauguin; their paintings can be found alongside Vincent van Gogh’s at Courtauld Gallery in Room 7. According to The Art Story Contributors (2017), Van Gogh focused on “saturated colours and broad brushstrokes to evoke [his] inner turmoil”[5] – this is constantly presented in his various works, as many of them like ‘The Starry Night’ or ‘Portrait of Dr Gachet’ are very abstract with their shapes, opposing colours and the mood that he tried to set out through his use of colour.
At first glance, ‘Self-portrait with bandaged ear’ seems bland and dreary compared to his more prominent pieces like ‘The Sunflowers’ which are full of happiness and bright colour, as were painted during one of his happier times, but I found that the longer I ponder on it, I’m more and more affected by it in different ways; from the pursed, determined curvature of his lips, to the sad eyes and brushstroke-lined face – I feel deep sympathy for what he went through being a prisoner in his own mind, having observed the effects of mental illness in people who surround me.
Vincent Van Gogh has given us an insight into his lifestyle and psyche through the numerous letters he wrote throughout his short life, which gives me a small indication of his mental health over the years.
VIEW AS A MEDICAL STUDENT
Having read a number of his letters, many of them stand out to me; I noticed that aside from mental derangement, he was plagued by periods of sickness, interlaced with intervals of creativity and alcohol abuse. In letter 787 to his brother and sister (1889), I noticed that van Gogh is very direct and aware of his condition – he acknowledges it and his attacks. Something which surprised me, however, was his assessment of his health – “changeable and uneven rather than weak” [8] when he compared it to that of Theo. Considering that only months previously he mutilated his own ear, which inspired the above painting, I think that it’s an apt assessment of his well-being. I feel like I have gained an understanding about his derangement, as in the same letter, he writes “illnesses sometimes cure us […] that when the illness comes to a crisis it’s a thing necessary to the recovery of normal state of body”. This view, in my opinion is an oxymoron, as it implies that sometimes, in order to be rid of an illness, one needs to hit rock bottom with it; sadly, he was never cured as he took his life at the young age of 37.
21st century saw astonishing advancements in medicine and technology, also saw more and more cases of people seeking help to deal with their various mental health problems. According to the NHS Digital website (2017), in 2013-2014, over 1.7 million adults went for help for their mental problems [7]; this figure doesn’t include adolescents or people who are plagued by the stigma of having a disability – I believe that nowadays mental health is treated more carefully and seriously than it was for Van Gogh, mainly because we now know much more about it and have the equipment for examination, which weren’t invented in 19th century. Hence, as a medical student, I feel melancholy and unhappiness that the painter’s treatment and stay at Saint-Rémy aimed to isolate him from people and to keep an eye on him so he wouldn’t harm himself, rather than treating his ailment, because the self-portrait I have chosen shows an isolated and lonely man, who simply wants to ‘feel’ something, even if it’s only pain.
VIEW AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC
As a member of the public, this painting and its implications makes me feel sadness at Van Gogh’s rather unhappy life and subsequent suicide, and also quite angry, as in the light of recent statistics about mental health and suicide in the UK, the number of cases of suicide has risen from 6122 in 2014, to 6188 in 2015 (statistics are from Office for National Statistics) [9] – whilst that number doesn’t look significant, it is showing that all the mental health stigma and stereotypes present in the media and discrimination shown by some workforces or people towards mental illness sufferers, has a profound effect on suicide rates.
In letter 752 to his brother, Van Gogh writes his doctor’s opinion of his lifestyle which indicates that he had an alcohol problem, or at least drank more of it than was healthy, as “instead of eating enough and regularly, [he has] been particularly sustaining [himself] with coffee and alcohol”. [10] As a member of the public, knowing that he had an alcohol problem makes me a bit dismayed and slightly scandalized, that he became such a worldwide phenomenon after death even though he was in fact a drug abuser, and that he wasn’t penalised more over it during his life. Looking at this from a different direction, however, I feel pity that such a talented individual didn’t get the help he needed, as he still drank more than necessary. I feel that in today’s society, the public would penalise healthcare professionals if they only offered advice to alcoholics as there is a stigma associated with this addiction, as well as too much responsibility placed on healthcare professionals relating to treating and sorting out patients’ issues.
Conclusion
I believe that this painting is a way to normalise mental health in today’s society because it was painted by a sufferer. I feel we can learn a lot about how isolated and ostracised mental patients feel for something they cannot control and that the painting helps the public acknowledge the good professionals do, as it presents a problem in a less sterile way than something medical which may not interest everyone. I feel I can understand some behaviours better now, after researching this topic. Some people, the public and healthcare professionals alike, enjoy the works of Van Gogh and may be inspired to look more into his life, and change or adapt their perceptions of psychiatric illnesses; as he writes in letter 772 (1889), “and little by little I can come to consider madness as being an illness like any other.” [4]