Van Gogh painting worth $6.8mn goes on display for first time since being stolen and returned

A painting by Vincent van Gogh, which was stolen and then handed to a Dutch art sleuth in an IKEA bag last year, was displayed in a museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands on Wednesday (Feb 7). The 1884 ‘Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring’ which is worth approximately $6.8 million was unveiled for the first time after being retrieved by the Dutch police in 2023, three years after it was stolen. 

The ‘Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring’ was presented to the media on Wednesday at the Groningen Museum. However, the public will not be able to view the painting until 29 March. 

The damage from the theft was still visible, reported AFP, describing it as a deep white scratch at the bottom of the canvas. 

“I would call this a severe one because it goes through all the layers, the varnish, the paint layers and then into the ground layer, which is white,” the painting’s restorer, Marjan de Visser, told the news agency. 

She also said that there was a “little bit” of damage under the original canvas and that a thorough investigation into the painting is being conducted. Speaking about the investigation, De Visser said she is looking into the materials used, previous restorations, and how it was mounted.

The painting was retrieved last year by the Dutch police thanks to a tip from an “art detective” named Arthur Brand after being stolen in a daring midnight heist in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 lockdown. 

Brand played a pivotal role in the recovery of the 139-year-old painting, orchestrating its return in an unexpected and remarkable fashion.

The painting was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum near Amsterdam when it was on loan from Groningen and its whereabouts were unknown for three and a half years before sensationally resurfacing in the possession of the Dutch art sleuth. 

The story of the man – whose identity was not revealed for his own safety – who returned the painting made headlines not only given the importance of the artwork but also because the $6.8 million ‘Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring’ was returned in an IKEA bag. 

(With inputs from agencies)