A long-lost Vincent Van Gogh
painting, the first full-size canvas by the Dutch master discovered since 1928,
has been identified by the Dutch Van Gogh Museum .
Sunset at Montmajour depicts trees, bushes and sky with Van Gogh's familiar thick brush strokes. He described it in a letter to his brother, Theo, saying it was painted on July 4, 1888 'on a stony heath where small twisted oaks grow.'
Museum experts said it was authenticated by letters, style and materials used, and they had traced its history.
Director Axel Rueger described the discovery as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience' at an unveiling ceremony.
The museum said the painting now belongs to an unidentified private collector and will be on display at the museum from September 24.
It did not disclose full details of how the painting had been recovered, but said that it had been owned by a Norwegian man who had been told it was not by Van Gogh, so he put it in the attic.
Mr Rueger said the museum had itself rejected the painting's authenticity in the 1990s, in part because it was not signed. But new research techniques and a two-year investigation had convinced them.
He added it has taken two years since the masterpiece was brought to them before they concluded that it was in fact an original Van Gogh.
Mr Rueger said the research involved technical and stylistic research and began with a visit the setting of the scene, in Arles, France, to look at whether the paining was an accurate representation of the landscape.
He said the palette used for this scene matched exactly the colours the researchers saw in Arles.
The three-man team of researchers then closely examined works created by Van Gogh one week after this piece, and found that they were painted on 'exactly the same kind of canvas'.
Comparing this piece to works painted at that time, Mr Rueger said 'the way that he handled the paint and how he painted the trees' were very similar for Van Gogh during this period.
Finally, the researchers examined the provenance of the work, and dug up old letters and inventory from a Van Gogh collection. Mr Rueger said this specific piece was described in two letters and was listed among Theo van Gogh's collection as number 180, and that number can still be seen on the back of the canvas. The work was sold in 1901.
Researcher Teio Meedendorp said he and other researchers 'have found answers to all the key questions, which is remarkable for a painting that has been lost for more than 100 years.'
Vincent Van Gogh struggled with bouts of mental illness throughout his life, and died of a self-inflicted gun wound in 1890. He sold only one painting while he was alive, though his work was just beginning to win acclaim. The Van Gogh Museum, which houses 140 of his works, receives more than a million visitors annually, and Van Gogh paintings are among the most valuable in the world.
Mr Rueger described 'Sunset' as ambitious, because the canvas is relatively large, at 36.7 by 28.9 inches.
Van Gogh referred to the work in two other letters in the same summer it was painted, but he said he considered it a failure in several respects.
The location it depicts is near Arles, France, where Van Gogh was living at the time, near Montmajour hill, and the ruins of an abbey of the same name. The ruins can be seen in the background of the work, on the left side.
Researcher Mr Meedendorp said it belongs 'to a special group of experimental works that Van Gogh at times thought had lesser value than we tend to nowadays.'
The painting, which has changed hands several times since the Norwegian owner first came forward with it having removed it form his attic, will be on display at the museum in Amsterdam for a year.
Sunset at Montmajour depicts trees, bushes and sky with Van Gogh's familiar thick brush strokes. He described it in a letter to his brother, Theo, saying it was painted on July 4, 1888 'on a stony heath where small twisted oaks grow.'
Museum experts said it was authenticated by letters, style and materials used, and they had traced its history.
Director Axel Rueger described the discovery as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience' at an unveiling ceremony.
The museum said the painting now belongs to an unidentified private collector and will be on display at the museum from September 24.
It did not disclose full details of how the painting had been recovered, but said that it had been owned by a Norwegian man who had been told it was not by Van Gogh, so he put it in the attic.
Mr Rueger said the museum had itself rejected the painting's authenticity in the 1990s, in part because it was not signed. But new research techniques and a two-year investigation had convinced them.
He added it has taken two years since the masterpiece was brought to them before they concluded that it was in fact an original Van Gogh.
Mr Rueger said the research involved technical and stylistic research and began with a visit the setting of the scene, in Arles, France, to look at whether the paining was an accurate representation of the landscape.
He said the palette used for this scene matched exactly the colours the researchers saw in Arles.
The three-man team of researchers then closely examined works created by Van Gogh one week after this piece, and found that they were painted on 'exactly the same kind of canvas'.
Comparing this piece to works painted at that time, Mr Rueger said 'the way that he handled the paint and how he painted the trees' were very similar for Van Gogh during this period.
Finally, the researchers examined the provenance of the work, and dug up old letters and inventory from a Van Gogh collection. Mr Rueger said this specific piece was described in two letters and was listed among Theo van Gogh's collection as number 180, and that number can still be seen on the back of the canvas. The work was sold in 1901.
Researcher Teio Meedendorp said he and other researchers 'have found answers to all the key questions, which is remarkable for a painting that has been lost for more than 100 years.'
Vincent Van Gogh struggled with bouts of mental illness throughout his life, and died of a self-inflicted gun wound in 1890. He sold only one painting while he was alive, though his work was just beginning to win acclaim. The Van Gogh Museum, which houses 140 of his works, receives more than a million visitors annually, and Van Gogh paintings are among the most valuable in the world.
Mr Rueger described 'Sunset' as ambitious, because the canvas is relatively large, at 36.7 by 28.9 inches.
Van Gogh referred to the work in two other letters in the same summer it was painted, but he said he considered it a failure in several respects.
The location it depicts is near Arles, France, where Van Gogh was living at the time, near Montmajour hill, and the ruins of an abbey of the same name. The ruins can be seen in the background of the work, on the left side.
Researcher Mr Meedendorp said it belongs 'to a special group of experimental works that Van Gogh at times thought had lesser value than we tend to nowadays.'
The painting, which has changed hands several times since the Norwegian owner first came forward with it having removed it form his attic, will be on display at the museum in Amsterdam for a year.
With many thanks to The
Daily Mail for the story and pictures. More details at link.
Click on images to enlarge.
Van Gogh On Dark Water Animation
This Fake Rembrandt Was Created By An Algorithm
Fore-edge Painting: Artists Hide Paintings Along The Edges Of Old Books
Insanely Realistic Pencil Drawings
Found: A Missing Paul Gauguin Painting
Royal Academy of British Art Coming To Town
Australia and the UK Battle Over Historic Paintings Of A Kangaroo And A Dingo
Finally: A Digital Home For Lost Masterpieces
America: "Painting a Nation" Exhibition in Art Gallery of NSW
Chauvet Cave Paintings: Cave Women Left Their Artistic Mark
London exhibition of Australian art holds up a mirror to our nation: more iconic images
500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art
Some Fascinating Pictures featuring Alyssa Monks
Visual Art of the Human Body by Cecelia Webber
Ronnie Wood: His Art and The Rolling Stones
The lost Van Gogh: Painting found in Norwegian attic is confirmed as priceless work by Dutch master
Market Find Turns Out To Be A Lost Faberge Egg
Charles Dellschau: Secrets of An Undiscovered Visionary Artist
Tom Pinch: Time - Lapse Portraits of Paul McCartney and John Lennon
How JMW Turner Set Painting Free
The Curious Case Of The Renaissance Cockatoo
Images On Andy Warhol’s Old Computer Discs Excite University Students
Human Ingenuity: From the Renaissance to the Age of the Internet - The Sistine Chapel
Katsushika Hokusai: Japanese Artist
Picasso's "Women of Algiers" Breaks Auction Record
Looted Treasures Open Door To The Dark Nazi Past
Long-lost Caravaggio Masterpiece Found In French Attic
Frederic Remington: The Man Who Helped Bring The West To Life
Loving Vincent: The World's First Fully Painted Film
Vincenzo Peruggia: The Man Who Stole The Mona Lisa And Made Her more Famous Than Ever
The Isleworth Mona Lisa: A Second Leonardo Masterpiece?
Optical Illusions In Art
MC Escher: An Enigma Behind an Illusion
Hidden Degas Portrait Revealed
First Faberge Egg Created For 99 Years Goes To Doha
The World’s Priceless Treasures
Woman in Gold: Another Biopic For Dame Helen Mirren
Australia and the UK Battle Over Historic Paintings Of A Kangaroo And A Dingo
Finally: A Digital Home For Lost Masterpieces
Could Anyone Paint A Vermeer?
Artemisia Gentileschi - Her Biography And Her Art
John Constable Painting Sold By Christie's For £3,500 In June 2013 Will Now Go To Market To Sell For £2 million
The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy
Yulia Brodskaya:Paper Explodes With Life In This Artist's Hands
Images On Andy Warhol’s Old Computer Discs Excite University Students
Human Ingenuity: From the Renaissance to the Age of the Internet - The Sistine Chapel
Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Scotland’s Greatest Architect
David Bowie's Personal Art Collection Auctioned Off For $30 Million
