Stolen Van Gogh Painting to Go on Public Display for First Time Since Theft
A stolen Van Gogh painting will be publicly displayed in March for the first time since it was stolen three years ago. The painting, Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, was shown at a press conference at the Groninger Museum this week.
Stolen Van Gogh Painting Revealed
A stolen painting by Vincent van Gogh that was taken three years ago will go on public display in March. The painting, titled Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, was shown at a press conference at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands.
The painting bears a deep white scratch on the bottom of the canvas from the theft. It was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands in March 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic when museums and galleries were closed to the public.
Art Detective Recovers the Painting
The whereabouts of the stolen Van Gogh painting remained unknown for years, even though the thieves had been arrested and serving prison sentences. The painting was retrieved by art detective Arthur Brand last year.
Brand received a crumpled blue IKEA bag from an unidentified person, who had arranged the meeting with Brand and alerted the police. Inside the bag, wrapped in bubble wrap, was the stolen Van Gogh painting. Brand compared it to a 'proof of life' photograph and confirmed its authenticity.
Damage and Restoration
The stolen painting suffered a severe scratch that goes through all the layers of the canvas, varnish, paint layers, and into the ground layer. The restorer at the Rotterdam Museum, Marjan de Visser, described the scratch as severe.
De Visser is currently researching previous restorations and the original materials used in order to properly restore the painting. Dust and dirt have already been removed from the canvas. The restored painting will be available for public view at the Groninger Museum starting on March 29.
