The “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear,” painted by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in 1889. The painting captures the wound that Van Gogh suffered self-harm following his infamous self-harm incident in which he intentionally cut off his left ear with a razor blade following a heated argument with his friend and fellow artist Paul Gauguin . That being said, this is one of the self-portraits that appropriately represents van Gogh's tormenting and long-standing mental illness, in addition to his creative endeavors. This essay examines the message this artwork conveys, that for some people, mental illness might enhance their creativity and that art is a way for them to cope and express their feelings. This will be done by focusing first on how the painting captures the severity of van Gogh's illness, and then on how his mental illness fuels his artistic inspiration, which for him is a form of self-therapy . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayVan Gogh's self-portrait clearly conveys the artist's state of mind and allows the audience to gain insight of his soul. There are elements in this painting that show his disintegrated psychological state that tormented him terribly throughout his life. In this painting, van Gogh presents himself as a haggard and depressed character fighting against his inner demons. To support this, the painting depicts Van Gogh's best-known episode of mental illness, during which he cut off his ear. The bandaged ear reveals his dark psychological state which often leaves him tragically unable to control his torrent of emotions, leading him dangerously towards self-harm. This extreme act of self-harm also foreshadows his later suicide in which he fatally shoots himself (tutor). This highlights the dangers of how people with mental illness are sometimes forced into serious violence against themselves due to the torment they have with dark thoughts. Additionally, his lack of facial expression is significant. Van Gogh's expression is still and calm, suggesting feelings of mysterious inner pain. We see him dwelling on the aftermath of his self-inflicted trauma where he cut off his left ear. His tortured, distant and introspective gaze and his lack of facial expression also radiate sadness and a feeling of despair. This sense of dwelling and sadness that one can feel in this painting could mean that he is aware of how his mental illness has changed his personality. Additionally, the fact that van Gogh chose to paint himself with a fluffy hat and a thick overcoat inside his house symbolizes the coldness and emptiness he felt within himself. This is also supported by how he painted himself as pale and exhausted. This lack of feelings of warmth and permanence is how depressed people often describe how they feel. Overall, it is evident that the painting depicts Van Gogh's vulnerability and shows the audience how his struggle with his tragic instability led him to the self-harm seen in this portrait. However, this portrait represents not only his affliction but also his feeling of liberation through his madness which is usually accompanied by creativity and artistic inspiration. Elements of this painting suggest that for Van Gogh, painting was his way of staying sane. For example, van Gogh chose to include the Japanese print hanging on the wall in his self-portrait to.