The 1884 painting by a young Vincent van Gogh, which was stolen in a daring late-night heist from a Netherlands museum, is set to make its public debut in March after three years of absence, as reported by The Guardian.
The stolen masterpiece, titled ‘Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring,’ now bears a conspicuous white scratch from the theft on its canvas’s bottom. Despite its ordeal, the painting was unveiled at a press conference held at the Groninger Museum this week. The artwork vanished from the Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands on March 30, 2020, amidst the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced closures of various establishments including stores, galleries, and museums.
Even though the culprits behind the theft, identified as “Nils M” and Peter Roy K, had been apprehended and were serving jail terms, the whereabouts of the painting remained unknown for years.
Renowned art detective Arthur Brand, celebrated for recovering valuable treasures such as a Picasso painting and a ring once owned by Oscar Wilde, managed to retrieve the artwork late last year, albeit through an unexpected turn of events.
Brand recounts receiving an unexpected visit one evening, during which an unidentified individual handed him a crumpled blue IKEA bag before hastily departing. Although the encounter had been prearranged with the police on standby, Brand couldn’t contain his excitement as he eagerly unwrapped the package upon returning to his Amsterdam apartment. To his delight, nestled within layers of bubble wrap, lay the missing Van Gogh painting. Brand had a colleague film the unveiling, and upon comparing the artwork to a “proof of life” photograph previously sent to him, he confirmed its authenticity.
“It’s him,” Brand exclaimed, “Vincent van Gogh is back. What a day.”
According to Brand, the painting likely circulated within the criminal underworld without anyone daring to sell or fence it due to its considerable value, estimated between €3 million and €6 million (approximately $3.5 million-$6.5 million).
“We knew that the painting would go from one hand to another in the criminal world, but that nobody really wanted to touch it because it wasn’t worth anything,” Brand explained to The Guardian. “You could only get in trouble. So it was a little bit cursed.”
Marjan de Visser, the restorer at the Rotterdam Museum, described the scratch on the canvas as “severe,” penetrating through all layers, including the varnish, paint layers, and ground layer. De Visser is meticulously researching previous restoration efforts and the original materials used to ensure the painting’s proper restoration.
The public will have the opportunity to view the restored painting starting March 29 at the Groninger Museum in the Northern Netherlands.
