A Stolen Van Gogh Painting Returned in an Ikea Bag on Display Again, but with a Deep Scratch
A stolen Van Gogh painting has been returned and put on display, but it now has a deep scratch on its surface.
The Stolen Painting Returns
A stolen painting by Vincent van Gogh has been put back on display after being returned in an Ikea bag. However, it now has a white scratch running over its surface.
The painting, titled "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring," was shown in its damaged state at a press conference at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands.
It was stolen in March 2020 while on loan to another museum and was mysteriously returned three and a half years later in a blue Ikea bag.
The Damage and Restoration
The damaged painting has a white scratch near the bottom, deep enough to reveal the linen underneath. It is believed that the scratch was caused by the painting hitting a hard surface.
Marjan de Visser, who worked on restoring the painting, described the scratch as severe because it goes through all the layers, including the varnish, paint layers, and ground layer.
"The Parsonage Garden at Neunen" was completed by Van Gogh in May 1884 and is estimated to be worth up to $6.8 million.
Exhibition and Other Recovered Paintings
Despite the damage, the painting will be exhibited for public viewing at the Gronginer Museum starting from March 28. This highlights the resilience and historical significance of the artwork.
In recent years, there have been several instances of stolen high-profile paintings being recovered. The FBI recovered an 18th-century painting that had been missing for 78 years, and the same art detective who found the Van Gogh painting also successfully tracked down a stolen Picasso painting.
The Gronginer Museum has not yet commented on the situation.
