"Our painting by Van Gogh is back!" announced the Groningen Museum's press release published yesterday.
Three and a half years ago, on the night of 30 March 2020, a thief stole the 1884 work by Vincent van Gogh titled The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, also known as The Parsonage Garden.
See also: A Van Gogh Painting Is Stolen From Dutch Museum
The painting, part of the collection of the Groningen Museum near Amsterdam, was on loan at the Singer Laren Museum in Laren, east of Amsterdam, for an exhibition that was shut down to the lockdown.
See also: The Dramatic Events Surrounding Van Gogh's Sunflowers
A year after the theft, a suspect was arrested and was later found guilty and sentenced to eight years in prison. He was also found guilty of stealing a painting by Baroque painter Frans Hals from the Hofje van Mevrouw van Aerden, a museum in Leerdam, in September 2020.
The art detective Arthur Brand, also known as the 'Indiana Jones of the art world', worked alongside the police to investigate the theft. Brand is known for having tracked down the painting Buste de Femme (Dora Maar) by Pablo Picasso in 2019, after it had been missing for 20 years. A few months after the theft of the Van Gogh painting, Brand received clues that pointed to the world of organised crime. The Parsonage Garden is thought to have been used as leverage against the authorities to alleviate a prison sentence of a criminal currently behind bars for serious drug offences.
See also: The Top 10 Stolen Masterpieces
The matter, however, apparently became too complicated and an anonymous person, not involved in the theft itself, contacted Brand with the intention of returning the Van Gogh. The artwork was returned on Monday by the tipster to the private home of the detective in an Ikea bag.
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"The Groningen Museum is extremely happy and relieved that the work is back. It is currently in good company at the Van Gogh Museum. We are very grateful to our colleagues in Amsterdam for their hospitality. On behalf of all our staff, all the residents and visitors of Groningen, we would like to thank all those who contributed to this good result. Arthur Brand played a key role in this case, which the museum greatly appreciates," said Andreas Blühm, Director of the Groningen Museum.
The painting Two Laughing Boys by Frans Hals is still untraceable. But don't worry, Arthur Brand is on the case!
