Just today, the painting "Le Blute-Fin Mill" (shown to the left) has gone on public display for the first time after being attributed to Vincent van Gogh. It is being shown at the Museum de Fundatie in the Zwolle, Netherlands. According to an Associated Press article, this is "the first Van Gogh to be authenticated since 1995 and the sixth to be added to the confirmed list of the artist's paintings since the latest edition of the standard catalog was published in 1970". (AP Photo/Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle)Art curator Dirk Hannema bought the unknown painting in 1975 for a relatively minor sum from an art and antiques collector who did not believe it of much value. Hannema, however, was convinced that it was a Van Gogh and so told the art world, who did not place much stock in his claims, recalling how an earlier painting he touted as a Vermeer had been shown to be a forgery.
Now, more than 25 years after Dirk Hannema's death, the work has been authenticated by experts at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam as having been painted by the Dutch impressionist master in 1886.
Authenticating paintings without a clear provenance is so tricky...maybe I'm a skeptic, but I am always a little doubtful when new works by anyone very famous and long dead just turn up.
ReplyDeleteStill, it makes you want to go hunting through flea markets and attics for treasure.
what a cool painting...with a story...
ReplyDeleteWow! I was trying to look at it to see if it has Van Gogh characteristics--the woman's striped skirt certainly has very "directional" strokes, but I have to say I wouldn't have recognized the color palette. I love it, though. How exciting if it is another Van Gogh. Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteThe application of the paint is very Van Gogh. (pronounced correctly in the back of my throat) Sad, for Mr. Hannema, it wasn't authenticated earlier. Exciting news, indeed!
ReplyDeleteArt: Yes it is wise to be sceptical about such paintings that "just turn up" (I remember a very good post of yours on certain Degas sculptures), but apparently this has been around a good while and there does not seem to be much dispute about the attribution. The decision was based in part on analysis of the canvas itself and on the pigments used, comparing them with the ones from other known Van Gogh works.
ReplyDeleteBrian: Yes very cool indeed. I can just hear the footsteps of people clamoring up the wooden staircase to that mill in Montmarte.
ReplyDeleteA Brush With Color: so tricky trying to reach any conclusions based on these digital images, but what else do we have to go on? The experts who have authtenticated the painting admit it is a bit unusual for Van Gogh, particularly with the large human figures in a landscape, but they seem convinced. There is a good article in the Washington Post at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022401810.html
Willow: I just love it when you talk Dutch to me (correctly from the back of your throat) on my blog. ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is exciting news. Time to plan another trip to Holland.
I had no idea. How amazing! Would love to see this. I have seen a great deal of his work; Impressionism was always my favorite. Without seeing it enlarged, it doesn't look like his usual frenetic style. I'm going googling for a larger view. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I just had a choking fit pronouncing van Gogh correctly . . .
ReplyDeleteI'm OK. :)
vincent gives me strength to live!!
ReplyDeletethank you!!
xo
yolanda