Victorian art buyer may have snapped up Vincent Van Gogh painting worth tens of millions for $60
A Victorian who bought a painting from a Geelong market for just $60 may have unknowingly pocketed an artwork worth tens of millions created by iconic artist Vincent Van Gogh.
The
painting of a windmill, which bears a striking resemblance to other
artworks confirmed as being created by Van Gogh, was picked up by an
anonymous buyer and is now being kept under lock and key somewhere in Melbourne.
Art
historian Andrew Mackenzie is now investigating the curious art case
under the belief that Australian artist John Peter Russell — an arts
school friend of Van Gogh himself — may have brought some of the famous
works home with him.
"Van
Gogh said 'choose a couple from my studio before you go back to
Australia', so it could well be that this is one of those," Mr Mackenzie
said.
The
historian says he has already shown the painting to the National
Gallery of Victoria and it has undergone a "macro photography analysis"
at Monash University.
"It also showed up the way it was built underneath, which was very much in the style of Vincent Van Gogh," Mr Mackenzie said.
"It it is proved to be a Van Gogh, it will be probably one of the most valuable works in Australia."
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The discovery comes years after a previously unknown Van Gogh artwork was found stowed away in a Norwegian attic.
