A previously unknown oil portrait of a fisherman has been identified as a lost van Gogh painting, purchased by an anonymous collector for just $50 at a garage sale in Minnesota. The 450-page report released by art research firm LMI Group International suggests that the piece is a “translation” of Danish artist Michael Ancher’s portrait of fisherman Niels Gaihede.
The painting, titled “Elimar,” depicts a white-bearded man smoking a pipe and repairing a fishing net, with a signature in the corner. Initially believed to be a reproduction, LMI Group researchers used advanced techniques such as genetic analysis and pigment dating to confirm its authenticity.
A hair embedded in the brushwork was found to have belonged to someone with red or red-brown hair, consistent with van Gogh’s known hairstyle. The letters in the painting’s inscription match those in an 1885 van Gogh painting, further solidifying the connection.
LMI Group estimates that “Elimar” is worth at least $15 million, but its authorship remains uncertain and not widely accepted by art experts. The Van Gogh Museum, which previously evaluated the piece, has yet to respond to the new report.
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/someone-bought-this-painting-at-a-garage-sale-for-50-experts-say-its-a-lost-van-gogh-worth-15-million-180985942