Vincent van Gogh was in the hospital in Arles between 24 December 1888 and 7 January 1889 after he had cut off his ear. He got back to work immediately after although his house was damaged by the flooding Rhône and he was short of money.

One of his first new paintings, 'Still life with a plate of onions' shows an envelope that probably contains the letter from Theo that arrived on 23 December 1888, the day of the ear accident.

Today 133 years ago, on 17 January 1889,

Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles:

"I was hoping for a letter from you around the tenth, but as that letter only arrived today, 17 January, the interval has been a fast of the most rigorous sort, all the more painfully so because my recovery couldn’t take place under those conditions. Nevertheless, I’ve started work again and I already have 3 studies done in the studio plus the portrait of Mr Rey, which I gave him as a keepsake.”

The 3 studies are: Self-portrait with bandaged ear, Self-portrait with bandaged ear and pipe. And:

Still life with a plate of onions
Arles, 1889
Oil on canvas
49,5 x 64,4 cm
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands

You may also like to read:
When did Van Gogh pick up painting after he cut off his ear?Van Gogh's 'Still life with a plate of onions'

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      17-01-2022 12:55     Comments ( 0 )
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