The context of Van Gogh’s death
The absolute truth about where and from what Vincent Van Gogh died is still not told. There are numerous theories about his death, well studied, each and every one of them may be quite plausible. In this article we are going to try to shed light on this mysterious issue that could be more complicated than initially assumed. Join us to learn about some of the most widespread hypotheses about how Van Gogh’s death occurred.
Where and from what did Vincent Van Gogh die? Know the hypotheses
1. One death from a gunshot wound
The first of the hypotheses about where and why Vincent Van Gogh died is the official and most widespread version: death from gunshot wound. What he explains is that, due to the severe depression he suffered, On July 27, 1890, while walking through the countryside, he decided to end his life by shooting himself in the stomach with a revolver. However, he did not manage to die on the spot and the fatal wound caused his death two days later at the Ravoux pension. He died in the arms of his brother Theo, the only friend and confidant he had in his life.
Those who defend that the painter did not actually commit suicide argue that no suicide letter was found. What they really found was a draft of a letter to his brother that he never wrote.
Another point to highlight is that it was later shown that the painter purchased a large amount of material. It makes no sense that, if he was planning to commit suicide, he would buy more instruments to expand his work. Furthermore, the weapon with which the wounds were caused was never found and the shots are not the most appropriate for suicide, since a person who wants to die quickly does not shoot himself in the stomach. Without a doubt, Van Gogh’s death was not as clear as they wanted to make it seem.
2. An accidental death
Another hypothesis about where and why Vincent Van Gogh died is accidental death. Two writers, named Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, published a biography of the artist, in which They claim that Vincent Van Gogh died due to a revolver shot, although accidentally.
According to them, two brothers who were vacationing in the area shot the painter while they were playing something with the gun. The two authors state that Both boys were acquaintances of the painter, so he did not want to incriminate them when the misfortune occurred. In their investigation they studied the testimonies about the suicide, ensuring that they are not at all solid and that in the statements of the two children there were clear signs of guilt.
3. A murder
This is perhaps the most far-fetched theory about Van Gogh’s death, although, if we take into account the documents from the time found by the authors mentioned above, it may not be so strange.
In this hypothesis a name arises, that of the young René Secrétan. This boy, who had been educated in Paris, had a great influence on the rest of the young people in the area due to his good economic position. One of the witnesses stated that the painter was not in the corn field in which he supposedly injured himself, but rather he was on the road that led to young Secrétan’s house. This boy’s gang came across Van Gogh and decided to publicly humiliate him with the misfortune that the gun René was carrying accidentally went off.
The painter was the object of ridicule from the gang of friends, since they lived nearby, and due to the artist’s character he was quite prone to humiliation. The urchin himself declared that the gun was his, but that it went off at the least expected moments. The wealthy family had no problems covering up the incident, since they enjoyed great prestige at the time.
The only thing that is clear about where and why Vincent Van Gogh died is that his death contains a great mystery. Was it a suicide caused by the painter’s tormented mind? A simple child’s game that went wrong? Or bravado with disastrous consequences? Be that as it may, this matter has more substance than it seemed at first, since it seems that at the time they tried to cover something even more twisted, although perhaps accidental, than a suicide.
Now we would be delighted to know your opinion. Which hypothesis convinces you most about Van Gogh’s death? Are the Secrétan brothers related to his death? Was it a simple suicide? We are looking forward to reading you!
And if you want to learn a little more about the curious facts about the life of this artist, don’t miss the article in which we tell you the history of the van gogh ear and why he cut it. AND If what you want is a little more artistic inspiration, enjoy this selection of Van Gogh’s best phrases. We are looking forward to a super curious next article!