A Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from a Dutch museum in March 2020 has been recovered and returned. The painting, titled “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring,” was found by a tipster who delivered it to the home of a private Dutch art crimes detective wrapped in Bubble Wrap and tucked inside an Ikea bag.
The detective, Arthur Brand, had been investigating the theft of the painting, which was created in 1884 and is one of van Gogh’s early works. It was stolen during a temporary exhibition at the Singer Laren Museum, located about 20 miles southeast of Amsterdam. The painting had been on loan from the Groninger Museum.
The exhibition opened in January 2020 but was forced to close due to the pandemic just two months later. Security camera footage from March 30, 2020, captured the masked thief breaking into the museum using a sledgehammer to smash through glass doors before fleeing with the painting.
The individuals involved in the theft had already been apprehended and convicted thanks to intercepted encrypted communications. This means that they couldn’t have been the ones to physically return the painting, according to Brand. Over the years, Brand had received various tips about the painting, including photographs of it.
The tipster’s identity has not been revealed, but Brand expressed gratitude towards the person for the painting’s return. Brand, known as “the Indiana Jones of the art world,” frequently encourages people to come forward with information about stolen art. In a similar incident in 2019, he successfully located a stolen Picasso.
Brand met the tipster at his residence, as shown in a video clip on the Dutch national broadcaster NOS. In the clip, Brand can be seen unwrapping the package and visibly relieved when he confirms that it is indeed the authentic van Gogh painting.
The painting had been circulating within the criminal underworld and used as a form of payment. However, its value had significantly diminished due to the thieves’ convictions. Possessing the stolen painting could result in a substantial fine, possibly in the millions. Brand collaborated with the Dutch police to locate the artwork.
The circumstances surrounding how the painting ended up with the individual who returned it remain unclear, and Brand declined to provide further details about their connection.
Evert van Os, the general manager of the Singer Laren Museum, expressed his joy and relief upon learning of the painting’s return. He shared the news with the museum staff, who greeted it with applause and cheers.
Although “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring” has suffered some damage during its time away from the museum, it is uncertain where it has been during that period. After inspecting the painting and admiring it in his own living room, Brand handed it over to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam for restoration. Van Os mentioned a few new scratches on the canvas but believed that the damage could be repaired. Once restored, the painting is scheduled to return to its original home at the Groninger Museum.
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