The name Vincent van Gogh is well known as he is one of the most distinguished artists in history. With such legendary masterpieces, it comes to no surprise why many people would want to own a van gogh painting in their house.
Though swirls and sunflowers are synonymous with van gogh’s works, before he became famous for these styles, his focus was on other realist painters like Jean-François Millet. The initial style of the artist was focused on life – squalid clothes and peasants, still lives with a pair of shoes and landscapes depicting the countryside.
The other early examples include Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, 1884. Ironically, it was this particular work that was in the process of being restored during the theft in 2020, then 3 years later was returned away in an Ikea tote bag. It will now be, for the first time, available to the public.
A Little Context
The Singer Laren Museum is situated near Amsterdam and this painting was a loan to the Museum when it was reported stolen in the wee hours of 30 March 2020. The museum was closed to the public following the coronavirus outbreak at that time. Footage from the CCTV showed the thief breaking in and stealing the artwork from its location. As the perpetrator was arrested, the painting was still missing.
In the midst of all this, a person who said that he had the painting in question, wrote to an art detective called Arthur Brand, who in the media is called as ‘the Indiana Jones of art.’ After a third meeting was held, Brand opened the sheathed artwork to discover it was inside one of Ikea’s infamous blue bags.
Where Will I Be Able To See The Work?
Once its authenticity was established, it was released back to the Groninger, in a condition which was vigorous, however, not unmarred. After its release to the press, it has been revealed that the work ‘Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring‘ will be displayed to the public after 29th March.