A painting bought at a garage sale in Minnesota for just $50 could be a long-lost work by Vincent van Gogh, according to a recent report by a New York-based art data science firm. The painting, titled “Elimar,” measures 45.7 by 41.9 centimeters and features a somber-looking man with a pipe in his mouth and a fur hat standing by the ocean. Experts believe the painting was likely created while van Gogh was a patient at the Saint-Paul sanitarium in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence between May 1889 and May 1890.
The report describes the piece as an emotionally rich and profoundly personal work, captured during a tumultuous period in van Gogh’s life. The report noted stylistic elements consistent with van Gogh’s work, such as distinctive marks under the eyes, marks at the corner of the mouth, and a finish made of egg white. A strand of red hair, believed to belong to a male, was also embedded in the painting’s corner.
However, the Van Gogh Museum has denied the painting’s connection to the famed Dutch artist. In February 2019, the museum stated, “We have carefully examined the material you supplied to us and are of the opinion, based on stylistic features, that your work … cannot be attributed to Vincent van Gogh.”
LMI Group President Lawrence M.
Possible van Gogh found in Minnesota
Shindell emphasized their data-based approach to verifying the origin of the painting, describing it as a new standard for bringing to light unknown or forgotten works by significant artists. “By integrating science and technology with traditional tools of connoisseurship, historical context, formal analysis, and provenance research, we aim both to expand and tailor the resources available for art authentication,” Shindell said. Despite the exhaustive analysis, the painting still needs to be officially attributed to Van Gogh by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The museum previously refused to attribute the painting to Van Gogh when approached by the previous owner in December 2018. LMI described the painting as “an emotionally rich, profoundly personal work created during the final and tumultuous chapter of Van Gogh’s life.” Vincent van Gogh, who produced approximately 900 paintings during his lifetime, suffered from mental health issues and died by suicide in 1890 at the age of 37. The discovery of a previously unknown Van Gogh painting is not entirely surprising, as the artist is known to have lost many works, given away pieces to friends, and was not particularly careful about any work he considered a study.
While the painting’s true provenance remains debated, the discovery highlights the ongoing intersection of technology and historical art authentication. The firm is inviting Van Gogh scholars and dealers to view the work in person to further assess its authenticity.
