There’s always something going on in the art world, and this time, it’s about a stolen Painting being returned to its rightful place.
Three and a half years ago, the 1884 Vincent Van Gogh Painting, The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, was taken from the Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands in March 2020, just weeks after the institution was closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The burglar had shattered a glass door at the front of the museum, gaining entry to the building. Authorities promptly arrived on the scene, but by then, the crooks had already made it out with the canvas.
At the time, the artwork was on loan from the Groninger Museum, which was located nearby. It is estimated to be worth somewhere between $3.2 million and $6.4 million.
The culprit was arrested a year later. Authorities determined that the art thief was a man named Nils M. after discovering DNA evidence left behind on a broken picture frame.
Nils had also stolen a Frans Hal painting in 2020. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and was ordered to pay almost $9 million to the owner of the Hals.
It is believed that Nils was operating under the instructions of a Dutch shipping mogul, Peter Roy K., who was involved in drug smuggling. He intended to use the painting as leverage to negotiate his way to a reduced prison sentence. Although the thief was brought to justice, the van Gogh painting remained missing.
Recently, a Renowned Art Detective, Arthur Brand, was able to track it down. The van Gogh was handed over to him encased in bubble wrap and stashed in an Ikea bag by an anonymous tipster.
Brand has been deemed the “Indiana Jones of the art world” and is most famous for recovering two horse statues carved by Josef Thorak, Adolf Hitler’s favorite sculptor.
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He revealed that the person who returned the painting had contacted him but was afraid of getting in trouble, even though they were not involved in the theft. The detective had to dispel their fears before getting the unnamed individual to agree to drop off the canvas.
The Groninger Museum wrote in a statement that “the painting has suffered” but is still in relatively good condition. It will take a while before the artwork can go back on display again. In the meantime, the canvas must undergo a thorough examination, and experts will work on restoring the damage.
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