Van Gogh's Suicide

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Abstract
Vincent Van Gogh as man and artist has been the subject of much conjecture among artistic, literary, and psychiatric notables. His suicide in 1890 has generally been considered the tragic result of a chronic mental disorder, presumably manic-depressive psychosis. A different theory about Van Gogh's suicide is suggested, one which could have contributed materially to his death at a relatively early age: he knew that he was losing his eyesight, and the final realization of approaching blindness incited the suicidal act. This premise does not negate the real probability that Van Gogh harbored a major emotional disorder but does modify the magnitude of such a disorder. There is some reason to postulate that Van Gogh suffered a possible chronic type of glaucoma known to be painless, insidious, and capable of causing intermittent elevations of intraocular pressure. Symptoms may only have been an intermittent appearance of colored halos seen around lights

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