Van Gogh’s Ear – Framed Wall Art

For a long time it was widely believed that Van Gogh only cut off a small part of his lobe and not his whole ear, until a letter was discovered from his doctor to his brother which has a diagram demonstrating that he did indeed sever most of his ear.

Van Gogh took his ear and gave it to a friend. The friend had fallen on hard times and was working in a brothel, possibly as a maid since she was underage. Due to these circumstances her descendants had asked that she not be named which is why her name has been redacted here. (Newspapers have rudely reported her name). More interesting than any brothel associations, is that her financial hardship was due to medical debt, accrued in hospital when, after being bitten by a dog, she survived rabies with the help of a brand new anti-rabies vaccine. It was recovering in hospital where she met Van Gogh. Understandably, she wanted to forget both the dog and the whole ear incident, and kept it a secret while marrying and living well into old age.

Here is both Van Gogh’s ear and the letter penned by Docteur Félix Ray.

“On loan from __________* , rabies survivor and recipient of Vincent’s severed appendage.

*name redacted at descendants request”

The ear is made from naturally dyed (with avocado skins and stones) 100% cotton calico, the background is undyed calico, the thread that I use is either lyocell (wood fibres) or cotton, I have added detail/depth of colour/aging in natural earth paints. the stuffing is kapok (a natural and biodegradable fibre that grows inside pods that grow on the Ceiba tree, it has a low carbon footprint, is naturally hypoallergenic and requires very little processing) The glue is Eco Glue (Formulated from 100% natural ingredients, solvent free, non toxic) This piece is displayed in a wood and glass frame, making this item ethical, vegan, handmade, plastic free and sustainable.

I lovingly handmake each of my pieces, please expect slight variations between your order and what you see in the photo, it will always be beautiful, and full of character.

I can customise my pieces, such as making them in different sizes, colours etc. I can decorate it in many ways from embroidery and painting to appliqué, names and phrases can also be added, please message me for a quote. I create all the patterns for my designs from scratch, so if there is a particular bone, skull or creature you would like me to make, please get in touch, I do take commissions. If you would like a memorial piece to contain cremation ashes, please also contact me.

This piece is for decoration only, it is not suitable for children and is not a toy.

My packaging is plastic free and recyclable/biodegradable/reused.