After a three-and-a-half-year pursuit, a stolen Van Gogh painting has been recovered and is now safely back in the possession of Dutch authorities. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand played a pivotal role in this remarkable retrieval. The 139-year-old masterpiece was handed over to Brand in an unusual package – a pillow inside an Ikea bag – by an individual who appeared at his doorstep. Importantly, Brand emphasized that this handover was carried out in close coordination with Dutch police, ensuring the person who delivered the painting was not linked to the theft.
This art heist saga began in March 2020 when the painting, known as “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring,” was stolen from the Singer museum in the Dutch town of Laren, situated southeast of Amsterdam. The audacious thief shattered two glass doors at the museum using a sledgehammer, coinciding with the onset of the coronavirus lockdown. Notably, the artwork was on loan from a museum in Groningen, located in the northeastern part of the Netherlands, which has welcomed the painting’s recovery as “wonderful news.”
In 2021, a career criminal, Nils M, was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the theft. However, by the time of his conviction, the valuable painting, valued at several million euros, had already changed hands. The art piece had embarked on a clandestine journey through the criminal underworld.
According to intercepted communications by law enforcement, the stolen Van Gogh from 1884, also known as “Spring Garden,” had been acquired by a criminal group with the intention of using it as leverage for reduced prison sentences.
Arthur Brand, collaborating closely with Dutch police in pursuit of the artwork, revealed that they anticipated the painting would pass from one criminal group to another, as it had become too risky for anyone to hold onto it. As early as June 2020, Brand received “proof of life” photos of the Van Gogh.
Ultimately, an individual in Amsterdam approached Brand with an offer to return the painting, seeking complete confidentiality in return. This decision was partly driven by the burden of possessing the artwork.
The painting was handed over to Brand at his residence, while the director of the Groninger museum waited nearby in a bar to authenticate the work. It arrived protected by a pillow, which bore traces of blood as the person who retrieved it had accidentally cut a finger.
A spokesperson for the Dutch police’s arts crime unit confirmed the authenticity of the recovered painting. Andreas Blühm, the head of the Groninger museum, expressed his joy at the safe return of the artwork. He noted that although the painting showed some scratches, it was painted on paper and glued onto a panel, making it stable. Restoration efforts will be undertaken with the assistance of experts from the Van Gogh museum, a process that may take weeks or months before the artwork is ready for public display.
Notably, the director of the Van Gogh museum stated that he would refrain from lending the painting in the future, citing the trauma associated with its theft.
