Home News Columnists Ken Oxley

A tale of two artists

May 10 2009 by Michael Kelly, Sunday Sun

MORE years ago than I care to remember I did art lessons at school. It wasn’t that I had any talent, it was more the lack of talent I had for chemistry. Whichever you were worst at, you didn’t do. It was a close-run thing.

There’s not much I recall about my classes other than art teachers generally had mad hair, wore cord jackets and sported ties like tenderised snakes.

The one thing I remember is a few lessons on artist Van Gogh, pictured left, because, in my humble opinion, he was crap and it would cause my teacher’s hair to fizz when I said as much, which I often did because the effect on him was so amusing.

But more memorable was the fact he cut his ear off . . .Van Gogh, not my teacher. Or did he?

According to a new book it was his “mate” Paul Gauguin who did the deed and when police came a calling, Van Gogh turned a deaf ‘un to the allegation against his pal, which in the circumstances wouldn’t have been too hard.

Interestingly, Van Gogh is said to have died after shooting himself in the chest. Allegedly. Gauguin was in Tahiti at the time so it wasn’t him. However, I understand the author of the new book is trying to stand up claims it was Rolf Harris who, naturally, didgeridone him to death.

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