Another issue that might have significantly contributed to the argument is Gauguin’s Portrait of van Gogh painting, which was done about the 14th of December 1888. It was a portrait of van Gogh painting sunflowers. When it was done, van Gogh was clearly not very satisfied with the way Gauguin portrayed him. He said “It is certainly I, but it is I gone mad.” (Pickvance 203). The reason to believe that this contributed to the whole quarrel is that the very same night the first incident happened: “That evening in the cafe, VG threw a glass of absinthe at Gaugin’s head. Gaugin ducked it, and took his friend back to the Yellow House.” (Pickvance 203). The following morning, van Gogh did apologize to Gauguin. (Pickvance 203). But Gauguin’s response to the apology was “I forgive you gladly and with all my heart, but yesterday’s scene might occur again, and if I were struck I might lose control of myself and give you a choking. So permit me to write to your brother and tell him that I am coming back.” (Wallace 98). However, after a day visit to Montpellier, the harmony between the painters seemed to have been restored, and Gauguin wrote another letter to Theo saying that he is staying in Arles after all, and offered him the portrait of van Gogh as a conciliatory gesture (Pickvance 203). He reffered to he whole incident and his previous letter as a “bad dream” (Wallace 98). The incident seemed to be forgotten then, but was it really?
This was certainly not a major incident and not the crucial one, as was the one on the night of the 23rd of December, when van Gogh attacked Gauguin with a razor. But, this was the very first concrete quarrel between the two painters and definitely had an influence on van Gogh and his behavior. This portrait is just another piece of the puzzle of what was going on in van Gogh’s mind during the infamous December in Arles, but definitely an important one.