Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring”, which made headlines in recent years for being stolen and recovered in the most unusual way, is set to be displayed once again at Groninger Museum in the Netherlands.
“The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring,” one of Van Gogh’s early works, was initially stolen in March 2020 while on loan at the Singer Laren Museum. The thieves were found a year later and brought to justice, but the painting was nowhere to be found. The officials believed it circulated in the criminal underground but were unable to track it down.
The painting ended up being recovered in September 2023, thanks to art detective Arthur Brand. According to Brand, a person who had possession of the painting contacted him and said they wanted to return it. Brand received the painting, estimated to be worth up to $5 million, at his home address in an IKEA bag.
This wild journey left some consequences on the condition of the painting, including a white scratch at the bottom. It will now be a subject of restoration effort, although the process will only start once the research of the materials used and previous restorations wrap up.
“Without knowing, you can’t do anything, you can’t make a proposal for its conservation,” said restorer Marjan de Visser.
In the meantime, the painting is set to be displayed at Groninger Museum in its current condition starting 29 March.