A painting recently acquired by an antiques collector from a garage sale in Minnesota has been confirmed as a previously unknown portrait by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. An expert analysis by LMI Group International found that the oil on canvas painting, measuring 45.7 cm x 41.9 cm, is a portrait of a fisherman with a white beard smoking a pipe. The painting bears an inscription of “Elimar” in the bottom right corner.
Experts believe the painting was created during Van Gogh’s stay at a psychiatric hospital in France in 1889. However, further research suggests it may be based on a previous work by Danish artist Michael Ancher. To confirm its authenticity, researchers analyzed various characteristics, including the canvas weave and paint pigment. They also found a human hair embedded in the canvas, which was later sent for DNA analysis.
Although the painting’s DNA does not match Van Gogh’s known descendants due to its degraded state, LMI remains confident of its authenticity. The company aims to provide new methods for art authentication by integrating science and technology with traditional tools of connoisseurship.
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam still needs to formally attribute the painting to Van Gogh, a process that was initially rejected in 2018. However, given the circumstances surrounding Van Gogh’s life and known works, experts are not surprised by the discovery of a previously unknown painting attributed to him.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/30/style/garage-sale-van-gogh-elimar-scli-intl/index.html