Every painting tells a story. It doesn’t matter if we know the painter’s intention behind the artwork. We could create stories on our own just by observing the painting, spending time with it, and letting the human mind do its magic.
However, I must admit I already knew the context for this painting, and so it influenced what I got from it. I wonder what my first impression would have been. I guess I betrayed the core principle of this series; I’m sorry 🙁
One day, Vincent van Gogh cut off his own ear in utter confusion after a heated argument with his painter friend, Paul Gauguin. He was hospitalized, but he recovered rather quickly and returned home. Then he painted this self-portrait. Returning home and painting this shows how much healing he found in art.
Reflection
I see three sides to a man: hurt, healing, and healed. The hurt man is confined to the wounded ear; beneath the bandage, that side of the man cannot be seen. He is healing, and his plaster is cracking. The healed side, which I associate with the intact left ear, is also not observed. It is hiding, and it only sees the Japanese artwork hanging on the wall. It shows a valley below the snow-capped mountain where people seem peaceful; at least that is the feeling I get from observing it. I also see a crane, which in Japanese culture is associated with peace and longevity. That is the healed side. This painting isn’t sad; it is the highest representation of hope.
The left part of the painting looks so barren and yellow (the side with the wounded ear), while the right part shows a beautiful Japanese artwork.