STOLEN VAN GOGH WILL NOW GO ON DISPLAY AFTER BEING RECOVERED

Throughout art history, one of the most well-known painters in the world is Vincent van Gogh. The leading figure in the Post-Impressionism movement, the painter is best known for having severed his ear during a depressive episode in his later years. However, realist painters like Jean-François Millet served as inspiration for Van Gogh before he created his vibrant swirls and sunflower-filled vases. In his early paintings, commonplace subjects included prisoners, peasants, shoes with their laces undone, and serene rural landscapes. A little canvas titled Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring is one of these pieces.

The 1884-painted piece was shockingly stolen in 2020, found again in an IKEA bag in 2023, and will now be shown to the public for the first time since these occurrences. While the painting was being loaned to the Singer Laren Museum outside of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, it was stolen. The thieves broke through the glass of the shuttered museum in March 2020 as the entire world went into lockdown, stole the painting, and fled with it under their arms. Law enforcement eventually learned the identity of the thief and his criminal supporters, who were captured on camera. The painting was not found again, though. 

Art detective Arthur Brand says, “We knew that the painting would go from one hand to another hand in the criminal world, but that nobody really wanted to touch it because it wasn’t worth anything. You could only get in trouble. So it was a little bit cursed.” 

Brand told the media that the owner of the painting had even reached out to him, and with the consent of the authorities, he had arranged for the anonymous person to drop it. The person arrived at Brand's house with the painting inside a pillowcase, wrapped in bubble wrap, and contained in a traditional blue Ikea bag. It didn't take long to confirm that the painting was indeed by Van Gogh. Sadly, a noticeable white gash that penetrates the numerous coats of paint and varnish is now visible. In order to ensure that the painting is preserved for future generations, conservator Marjan de Visser has already started working to remove the previous varnish and gather more information about the painting's materials. 

De Visser explains, “This is how the young Van Gogh painted, before he went to art academy in Antwerp.”

The painting was eventually given back to its owner, the Groninger Museum, after a three-year journey. It has now triumphantly been shown to the press and will shortly be made available for public viewing. Visitors will be able to see the piece at the Groninger Museum beginning on March 29, 2024. It now offers a captivating display of one of the greatest artists in history as well as one of the most spectacular art thefts in recent memory.