Current:Home > BackStolen van Gogh painting worth millions recovered by Dutch art detective-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Stolen van Gogh painting worth millions recovered by Dutch art detective
View Date:2024-12-23 19:33:10
LONDON -- A Dutch art detective has helped recover a missing Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum, east of Amsterdam, in March 2020.
The "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring," painted in 1884, was stolen from the famous Dutch museum in a daring overnight smash-and-grab heist during the coronavirus lockdown.
Dutch art crime detective Arthur Brand, who has spent decades tracking down some of the world's greatest masterpieces, announced on Tuesday he had recovered the stolen masterpiece.
MORE: Van Gogh painting stolen in raid from museum closed due to coronavirus
In a video posted on Brand's Instagram, the detective can be seen unwrapping the coveted artwork, holding it up as he poses for the camera.
"So here it is! The Spring Garden by Vincent van Gogh which was stolen three and a half years ago on Van Gogh's birthday from a museum in the Netherlands. We have searched for it for more than three and a half years," he said.
Brand said he was able to recover the famous artwork in "close coordination" with Dutch police, deeming it a "great day for all Van Gogh lovers worldwide."
The painting -- estimated to be worth between about $3.2 million to $6.4 million -- was handed to Brand by an unnamed man in a blue Ikea bag at his Amsterdam home, he said.
"Finally, it's here, it's back," said Brand, announcing he is set to return it today to the Singer Laren Museum director.
The recovery followed the emergence of "proof-of-life" photos of the painting circulating in online Mafia circles in June 2020, three months after the dramatic heist. One of the images showed the multimillion-dollar artwork -- which measures 25-by-57 centimeter -- flanked alongside a copy of The New York Times international edition and a book about a famous art thief.
MORE: Discovery related to Van Gogh's last painting sheds light on his suicide, researcher says
In April 2021, Dutch police spokesperson Maren Wonder announced in a video statement that a 58-year-old man, named only as Nils M, was arrested in Baarn, Netherlands, on suspicion of stealing paintings by van Gogh and Frans Hals with an accumulative value of £18 million, or about $22.4 million.
"This arrest is an important step in the investigation," Wonder announced at the time. "Both paintings have not yet resurfaced with this arrest. The search continues unabated."
In a statement sent to ABC News on Tuesday, Dutch Police confirmed that the perpetrator was in custody and that the famous painting has been recovered, soon to be ready to be viewed by the public.
"The perpetrator is in custody and the painting is back. We are very happy with that result," said Richard Bronswijk, of the Dutch Police's Art Crime Unit.
"We know hat these types of items are used as collateral within organized crime. Intercepted messages have given us good insight into the criminal trade in these types of valuable objects."
The penalty for stealing a painting is imprisonment of 8 years.
"The search for Frans Hals' painting continued unabated."
veryGood! (271)
Related
- Craig Melvin replacing Hoda Kotb as 'Today' show co-anchor with Savannah Guthrie
- Siberian Wildfires Prompt Russia to Declare a State of Emergency
- Teen Mom's Maci Bookout Celebrates Son Bentley's Middle School Graduation
- MLB power rankings: Orioles in rare air, knocking Rays out of AL East lead for first time
- Vogue Model Dynus Saxon Charged With Murder After Stabbing Attack
- Clinics offering abortions face a rise in threats, violence and legal battles
- What does it take to be an armored truck guard?
- Q&A: Black scientist Antentor Hinton Jr. talks role of Juneteenth in STEM, need for diversity in field
- Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
- 24-Hour Flash Deal: Save $225 on the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra Upright Vacuum
Ranking
- She's a trans actress and 'a warrior.' Now, this 'Emilia Pérez' star could make history.
- A Marine Heat Wave Intensifies, with Risks for Wildlife, Hurricanes and California Wildfires
- On Father's Day Jim Gaffigan ponders the peculiar lives of childless men
- Jamil was struggling after his daughter had a stroke. Then a doctor pulled up a chair
- Avril Lavigne’s Ex Mod Sun Is Dating Love Is Blind Star Brittany Wisniewski, Debuts Romance With a Kiss
- OB-GYN shortage expected to get worse as medical students fear prosecution in states with abortion restrictions
- Ranchers Fight Keystone XL Pipeline by Building Solar Panels in Its Path
- How A New Majority On Wisconsin's Supreme Court Could Impact Reproductive Health
Recommendation
-
Caitlin Clark's gold Nike golf shoes turn heads at The Annika LPGA pro-am
-
U.S. charges El Chapo's sons and other Sinaloa cartel members in fentanyl trafficking
-
Ulta 24-Hour Flash Deal: Save 50% On a Bed Head Hair Waver That Creates Waves That Last for Days
-
More than half of Americans have dealt with gun violence in their personal lives
-
This is Your Sign To Share this Luxury Gift Guide With Your Partner *Hint* *Hint
-
Submarine on expedition to Titanic wreckage missing with 5 aboard; search and rescue operation underway
-
Taylor Swift Says She's Never Been Happier in Comments Made More Than a Month After Joe Alwyn Breakup
-
Why anti-abortion groups are citing the ideas of a 19th-century 'vice reformer'