"In mid-January 1889, three weeks after mutilating his ear, Van Gogh painted two astonishing self-portraits, depicting himself with a prominent bandage, covering his mutilated ear. The famous one is in London's (below left). The other, in a private collection (below right), has only occasionally been displayed at the Kunsthaus Zurich. The last time it was lent to an exhibition outside Switzerland was in 1990."
"The most striking compositional element of Self-portrait with bandaged Ear and Pipe is the powerful background-orange and red. The division of the colours is level with the artist's eyes, giving an added emphasis to his direct gaze. With the artist's coat in green, the complementary colour to red, the picture sings out. Another distinguishing feature in the self-portrait is the artist's beloved pipe, which he felt helped him relax."
Mid-January 1889, three weeks after cutting off most of one ear, Van Gogh painted two self-portraits showing a bandage over his ear. One is held by the Courtauld Gallery in London; the other remains in a private collection and is occasionally displayed at the Kunsthaus Zurich, last lent outside Switzerland in 1990. Van Gogh cut off his ear on 23 December 1888 after a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, recovered, and left hospital on 7 January 1889. He resumed painting immediately. The private Self-portrait with bandaged Ear and Pipe features a vivid orange-red background divided at eye level, a green coat complementary to red, and a smoking pipe with swirling smoke.
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