Arr! Ye olde Van Gogh portrait, worth millions, be found 'n returned, stashed in an Ikea scurvy bag!
2023-09-16
Arr! Word on the wind be sayin' that the masterpiece be swiped by scurvy organized scallywags, who might be usin' it as pirate treasure for a shady trade.
Dutch police have recovered a stolen Van Gogh painting, thanks to a tip from an "art detective" who returned the artwork in an Ikea bag. The painting, titled "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring," went missing in March 2020 during a smash-and-grab at the Singer Laren museum in Amsterdam. The Groninger Museum, the painting's rightful owner, expressed relief and gratitude for its return. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand played a key role in recovering the work, which had been stolen on Van Gogh's birthday. Security footage showed a masked man carrying the painting and another work rolled up. Brand later received pictures of the painting as proof that it had not been damaged. The photos had circulated in Mafia circles, along with a book about a thief who stole two Van Gogh paintings and a copy of the New York Times discussing the thief's heist. In 2021, Dutch police arrested a 58-year-old suspect on suspicion of stealing paintings, including the Van Gogh work, totaling around $22.4 million. The police noted that stolen artworks can serve as collateral for organized crime. The Groninger Museum, although not disclosing details of the recovery, plans to display the painting in its galleries soon. However, an insurance company that had already paid for the loss now owns the artwork, raising questions about ownership. Art theft in the Netherlands is punishable by up to eight years in prison.