Van Gogh Didn’t Commit Suicide, But Died in Accident: Authors

A new biography by award-winning authors Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith has claimed that troubled painter Vincent Van Gogh did not kill himself but died in an accident.

For years, the mystery behind the death of Dutch post-impressionist painter has intrigued art historians.

It was widely believed that the painter, known for his works like the Potato Eaters and the Sunflowers, had died as a result of self-inflicted wounds from a gunshot. Many attributed this to the frequent bouts of mental illness that he reportedly suffered during the last few years of his life.

However, the new book, due to be published on Monday, has shed light on the renowned painter's life.

The Daily Mail reported that the authors completed the book after about 10 years of research. In the book, the authors have cast doubts about his death by asking how the artist could have got hold of a gun while he was in an asylum.

Apart from this, they have also questioned as to how no evidence of shooting was ever produced till date.

According to the New York Times, the authors hypothesize that he was shot by a friend's teenage brother, who carried a gun and had a history of teasing Vincent in a way intended to provoke him to anger.