A Garage Sale Find Turns Out to be a Previously Unknown Painting by Vincent Van Gogh
A painting purchased at a garage sale in Minnesota has been identified as a previously unknown portrait by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. The artwork, which measures 18 inches by 16.5 inches, is an oil on canvas painting of a fisherman with a white beard, smoking a pipe as he repairs his net. The painting, which was bought by an antiques collector in 2016, was analyzed by art research firm LMI Group International, who used a four-year process to determine its authenticity.
The analysis revealed that the painting was created during Van Gogh’s stay at a psychiatric hospital in the south of France in 1889, and is one of many of his “translations” of works by other artists. The painting is based on a work by Danish artist Michael Ancher, and is an example of Van Gogh’s prolific output, which included over 900 paintings during his lifetime.
The painting, which is signed with the inscription “Elimar” in the bottom right corner, is one of many works that Van Gogh produced during his time at the asylum. Despite initial skepticism from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, LMI Group International is confident that the painting is genuine, and its authenticity has been confirmed through a range of scientific and historical research methods.
The discovery of the painting is just one example of the many hidden gems that remain undiscovered, and LMI’s chairman, president, and CEO, Lawrence M. Shindell, has emphasized the importance of integrating science and technology with traditional art historical research methods to shed new light on the lives and works of famous artists.