Latest news with #VincentvanGogh
IOL News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
WATCH: Grand collapse at the museum - tourist sits on a priceless crystal chair and breaks it!
Museums are like giant 'Do Not Touch' signs with exquisite lighting. And yet, for some of us (yes, me included), the temptation is just too strong. I mean, if something has survived 4,000 years, surely it can survive a gentle, reverent touch - right? That was my logic years ago when I lovingly ran my fingers over an ancient Egyptian stone tablet in the Nubian Museum in Aswan. The hieroglyphics were breathtaking, and I was completely entranced… until a very polite curator tapped me on the shoulder and explained (with a smile that said 'you silly tourist') that no, the artefacts are not meant to be stroked like a golden retriever. The priceless crystal chair incident that has sparked online cringe Fast-forward to today, and it turns out I'm not alone in my museum misdemeanours. In Italy, a crystal chair inspired by Vincent van Gogh's famous 1888 painting Van Gogh's Chair was recently damaged by a tourist who did more than just look - he sat. Yes, really. CCTV footage from Palazzo Maffei in Verona shows a man and woman taking turns to pose next to the museum's prized piece, a Swarovski crystal-covered chair by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, created between 2006 and 2007.
Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Express Tribune
Tourist shatters $50K Swarovski crystal Van Gogh chair at Verona museum in shocking photo mishap
An art installation at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy, was accidentally damaged by a tourist attempting to pose for a photo. According to surveillance footage shared by the museum, the incident occurred when a male visitor sat on an art piece encrusted with thousands of Swarovski crystals — despite posted rules against touching the exhibit. The delicate sculpture, titled the "Van Gogh" chair by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, is inspired by the chair depicted in one of Vincent van Gogh's iconic paintings, The Bedroom. Rather than mimicking a seated position like his female companion, the man fully sat on the piece, which immediately gave way. He stumbled while trying to catch himself, and the two hurried out of the room. Palazzo Maffei publicly condemned the act in a social media post, calling the behavior 'superficial' and 'disrespectful,' and emphasized that the visitors waited for museum staff to leave before acting. 'They ignored every rule of respect for art and cultural heritage,' the museum said. The museum initially feared the artwork might be beyond repair but confirmed days later that restoration efforts had succeeded. 'For days we didn't know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it,' a staff member posted in Italian. The museum thanked law enforcement, their internal security team, and restoration experts for the recovery. The cost of the repair has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the couple responsible will face any consequences. Online commenters reacted strongly, with many condemning the tourists' disregard for museum etiquette.
Medscape
12-06-2025
- General
- Medscape
Behind History's Icons III: Van Gogh's Bloody Ear Mystery
Ancient Egyptians believed that mummifying a king's body ensured his ascent among the gods. The preserved corpse — called the Ach (Egyptian for 'shining' or 'spirit') — entered a sarcophagus symbolizing the womb of Nut, the sky goddess. The belief in the enduring power of human remains has recurred throughout history. In early Christianity, Western Europe venerated the relics of saints, including Christ's foreskin and John the Baptist's skull. By the 19th century, European physicians had begun to preserve and study organs from notable individuals. From strands of Muhammad's beard to Adolf Hitler's jaw and Buddha's teeth, this series offers an overview of the most famous human body parts in human history. Part III focuses on Vincent van Gogh's ear. Unexpected Gift In 1889, 22-year-old French intern Félix Rey (1867-1932) received an unusual gift from one of his former patients, a mentally ill painter named Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890), had sent him a painting depicting Rey himself. Rey appreciated his patient's efforts but could not relate to his painting style. He considered the portrait unrealistic. It did not do justice to his natural appearance. So, he gave the painting to his mother. She called it hideous and ridiculous and used it from then on to cover a hole in the family's chicken coop. An art connoisseur soon bought the disgrace at a ridiculous price. By 2016, the painting — now in Moscow's Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts — was valued at US $50 million (then €45 million), roughly US $66.7 million (€58.6 million) in 2025. Had Rey retained it, his descendants would have been financially secure for generations. However, such mental exercise misunderstands the context in which Rey accepted the gift. He had a good reason to be skeptical of van Gogh's gesture of gratitude, given that it was the news of an even more unusual gift that had brought them together a year earlier. Self-Inflicted Injury On Christmas Eve, 1888, in Arles. As a 21-year-old medical intern most closely equivalent to today's junior doctor, Rey was on duty at Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, despite the holiday when the police brought in a man who had cut off his ear the previous night to present it to an 18-year-old prostitute. The story fascinated and horrified Rey at the same time. However, there was no time to take a medical history — a potentially life-threatening injury had to be treated. He quickly sketched the relevant anatomy, both to guide the procedure and prepare for police questions. With tunnel vision, the wound was cleaned and bandaged. Over the following week, Rey closely observed his patient and was concerned about the risk of major hemorrhage or infection. During this time, he witnessed several of what were described as van Gogh's 'crises.' These episodes reminded him of a condition in which one of his former classmates had studied for his doctoral thesis, masked epilepsy. The symptoms of this condition had been described as early as 1860 by French psychiatrist Bénédict Augustin Morel (1809-1873), whose work formed the basis of Rey's colleague's dissertation: 'Under the term 'masked epilepsy,' I described a form of epilepsy not marked by typical seizures — neither minor nor major — but instead by the accompanying or preceding symptoms of epileptic attacks: Alternating periods of excitement and depression; manifestations of sudden anger without sufficient cause and for the most trivial reasons; a usually highly irritable disposition; amnesia typical of epilepsy; and dangerous acts committed during momentary or transient fits of anger. Some people with epilepsy of this type have even experienced genuine auditory and visual hallucinations.' Rey believed he observed all these symptoms during van Gogh's case. For the first time, he diagnosed the artist with epilepsy, finally giving a name to his suffering. Van Gogh would later express deep gratitude for Rey's diagnosis and care in letters to his brother and patron, Theo van Gogh (1857-1891): '[Rey] is brave, hardworking, and always helping people,' he wrote. Before presenting one of his paintings to Rey, van Gogh asked Theo to send the doctor a copy of 'The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tulp' by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). Clinical Viewpoint However, for Rey, van Gogh remained only one among many patients. He interpreted van Gogh's intense emotions less as expressions of personal feelings and more as clinical symptoms. The mystery surrounding the events of Christmas Eve in 1888 reinforced this perspective. On December 30, 1888, Rey wrote: 'When I tried to get [van Gogh] to talk about the motive that drove him to cut off his ear, he replied that it was a purely personal matter.' Centuries later, researchers found evidence that van Gogh's silence might not have served only to protect himself. Lifelong Guilt Historians now generally agree that the incident on Christmas Eve, 1888, followed a heated argument between van Gogh and his roommate Eugène-Henri-Paul Gauguin (1848-1903). That September, van Gogh had moved into a house in Arles with the goal of establishing a shared workspace for modern artists — a dream he called 'Atelier des Suds.' Although he invited several artists, only Gauguin accepted, on the condition that Theo fund his travel and a monthly stipend. Vincent agreed to share both Theo's allowance of 150 francs and his home with Gauguin. However, their differences quickly became evident. Gauguin, pragmatic and strategic, saw the partnership as a potential source of income. For van Gogh, this was a way to pursue an artistic ideal and prove himself in a competitive art world. Shortly before Gauguin's arrival, van Gogh painted nonstop for days, mostly sunflowers. He wanted to express his joy at the approaching meeting and impress his rival as he entered. Conversations about money were a greater burden on van Gogh than average, as he always felt indebted to his brother Theo, who was 4 years younger than him and supported him despite his lack of success. In a letter to Vincent soon after Gauguin arrived, Theo addressed his brother's worries: 'I am very pleased that Gauguin is with you...[...] Now, in your letter, I see that you are ill and worried a lot. I must tell you something, once and for all. [...] You speak of the money you owe and want to return to me. I do not know that. What I want you to achieve is that you should never have to worry. I am forced to work for money.' Artistic Differences The argument between Gauguin and van Gogh on the evening of December 23, 1888, was shaped by the strained dynamics among the three men. Gauguin was increasingly frustrated by the lack of success at the Southern studio, while Theo van Gogh had recently fallen in love with Johanna Gezina Bonger (1862-1925), sister of family friend and art dealer Andries Bonger (1861-1936). Vincent van Gogh feared that both Gauguin and Theo might soon abandon him. According to newspaper reports, van Gogh lost an ear around 11:30 PM that night. About 15 years later, Gauguin claimed that van Gogh had assaulted him several times during their collaboration. On the night before the infamous incident, Gauguin said that he stepped out of the studio for some air and was chased by van Gogh, who allegedly attacked him with a razor. For unknown reasons, van Gogh changed his mind and cut off his ears. Historical Debate and Brothel Mystery What is historically verified is that Gauguin left Arles abruptly on the night of December 23, 1888, and never returned to van Gogh. Records also show that during his first day in the hospital, van Gogh repeatedly asked about Gauguin's whereabouts. Gauguin had earlier instructed the police to politely turn van Gogh away if he came looking for him. Art historian Martin Bailey suggested a different version of events: That Gauguin was provoked by van Gogh and cut off his ear with a sword. To avoid prosecution, Gauguin allegedly spread false claims and fled the city. Another mystery remains — why van Gogh took his severed ear to a brothel. He reportedly gave it to his favorite prostitute, Rachel, telling her to take good care of it. She fainted on the spot. It is now known that Rachel's real name was Gabrielle Berlatier. She was 18 years old at the time, heavily in debt due to medical expenses, and worked for years as a cleaner at the Café de la Gare, a place often visited by van Gogh. Some biographers believe that after mutilating himself, van Gogh returned to his studio, where he began to hear voices. Possibly following their commands, he took his ear to the brothel and gave it to Gabrielle. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam supports Gauguin's version of the events of December 23, 1888. Bailey's theory that van Gogh lost his ear due to Gauguin's sword is considered highly controversial. Another debated theory appears in a book by art historian Bernadette Murphy. Based on conversations with Berlatier's descendants, she concluded that Gabrielle worked only as a janitor at the brothel. It was confirmed that Berlatier had suffered from rabies, which left her with severe scarring. Murphy speculates that van Gogh, moved by compassion, gave her his own ear as an offering or gesture of empathy. Whether the gift consisted of just the earlobe or the entire ear remained uncertain until 2016. Resurfaced drawings by Rey documenting the mutilation show that the entire ear was missing. Art critic Sidney Geist speculates that Jo Bonger may have spread conflicting narratives after her marriage to Theo van Gogh in order to improve the family image. Dual Realities The life of one of history's most celebrated artists was so complex and layered that it blurs the line between illness and health, madness and genius — simply different perspectives on the same truth. Read the previous parts of the series. • Part II: Behind History's Icons II: Hitler's Jaw and Cold War Secrets. • Part I: Behind History's Icons: Napoleon and His Notorious Anatomy.
Observer
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see
What is art, truly? Is it the brush on canvas, the chisel on stone, the rhythm of music, or the silence between words? Or is it something far more intimate, an invisible thread between the creator and the beholder, where feelings, meanings and ideas are transferred without needing to be explained? Edgar Degas once said, 'Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.' It is a statement that haunts the soul of every creator and invites each viewer to step beyond mere observation into an act of connection. To see is easy. To make someone else see, not just with their eyes but with their emotions, memories and inner world, is a rare kind of magic. When Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night, he did not replicate the sky as it appeared. He transmitted the turbulence of his soul, the storm of mental illness clashing with a longing for peace. The viewer doesn't just see stars; they feel isolation, longing and the fragile beauty of existence. This is where the process of art begins, not with paint, nor stone, nor words, but in the mind. Before Michelangelo lifted a chisel, he claimed he saw the figure trapped inside the marble. He simply removed the excess. Such vision is not merely technical; it is cerebral, imaginative and deeply spiritual. The brain of the artist works differently, it fuses logic and intuition, detail and abstraction, thought and instinct. Leonardo da Vinci didn't just create Mona Lisa; he gave us a mystery that has endured centuries, a smile that seduces every imagination that meets it. Art is the language of the unseen. It's how Frida Kahlo expressed pain that could not be verbalised, how Picasso made sense of a fractured world, how Claude Monet captured time not as a ticking clock but as light gently dancing on water. It is how we learn to see again, not with our pupils, but with our hearts. The imagination is not just a luxury for artists; it is the birthplace of empathy. When Gabriel García Márquez wrote about magical villages and eternal rain, he wasn't escaping reality, he was decoding it, translating human truths into metaphors that pierced the soul. Similarly, Yayoi Kusama, through her infinity rooms, does not simply present art, she pulls us inside her mind, where obsession, pattern and eternity collapse into one. But making others see is not about control. The artist doesn't dictate interpretation; rather, they open a door. Each viewer brings their own history to the moment. A painting may whisper freedom to one and melancholy to another. In that space of ambiguity lies the true power of art: its capacity to multiply meaning, to ignite different truths in different hearts. When Banksy paints a girl letting go of a red balloon on a crumbling wall, he's not just decorating public space. He's telling a story, of innocence, of loss, of rebellion. Art like his cuts through noise because it speaks in silence, in irony, in metaphor. The same is true of Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose seemingly chaotic canvases are explosive conversations about race, capitalism and identity. They don't demand answers; they demand introspection. Art is a form of communication older than language. Long before words, humans painted on cave walls trying to say, I was here. I felt this. I mattered. Today, whether through digital installations, photography, music, or performance, artists continue the same mission: not just to be seen, but to be felt. To make others see what you see is not to replicate your vision, but to inspire theirs. The artist's mission is not to persuade but to awaken. Sometimes, they succeed in creating a single moment of revelation where time pauses, breath catches and a person says, 'Now I understand. Now I feel.' That moment is sacred. Art is not a product; it is an experience. It is the invisible hand reaching from one soul to another. A mirror that reflects, a window that reveals, a dream that transcends. It is a whisper across time that says: Look again. Feel again. Be more human. Art is not what you see, it is what you make others see. And in that shared vision, we find the essence of humanity itself.
France 24
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
How Stitch overcame Tom Cruise at the French box office
Next, step inside the world of "Squid Game: The Immersive Experience", now in London after sold-out runs in Madrid, New York, Sydney and Seoul. It's not just a show; it's a thrilling, interactive adventure where you live the drama with real actors and stunning sets. Also, did you know that one in three French people have tattoos, with even higher numbers in Spain and Italy? Tattoos are at the heart of a major new exhibition in Marseille, exploring the history and artistry behind this vibrant cultural phenomenon. Finally, for the first time ever, Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum honours an African artist, showcasing John Madu's striking works inspired by Vincent van Gogh's masterpieces. Don't miss this exciting episode of arts24 with Eve Jackson – your passport to the world of art, culture and cinema.
