During research on a book about Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, writer Martin Bailey stumbled across a Parisian newspaper article, detailing the artist’s public severing of his left ear following a row with Gaugin.  The article, which reported the artist merely as “someone named Vincent,” also details Van Gogh’s later arrival at a “house of ill repute,” where he presented the doorman with the piece of his ear.  “Take it, it will be useful.”  The artist told him. (more…)