Possible photo of Van Gogh not similar enough to artist, museum says
The Van Gogh Museum has decided the 19th-century photo discovered by a collector is not of Vincent van Gogh, according to NH Nieuws. The news came after the museum spent several days investigating the photo.
Antique photo collector Andries van Beek found the old photograph in an album he bought at a flea market. He and several of his friends thought the photo bore a striking resemblance to the world-famous artist, who was not a big fan of getting his picture taken.
However, after a few days of investigating, the museum sent Van Beek a message that "the similarities are not striking enough" between the "Starry Night" painter and the photograph that was discovered.
Van Beek said he was "bummed" at the museum's verdict that the photo was of someone else. "It was to be expected, but it became exciting for a while," the collector told NH Nieuws. "I showed the photo to several people who know about it and they said: 'This is really him!', but I believe the Van Gogh Museum. Well, I think that it is still going to be discussed!"
Van Beek believed he also found a photo of the painter's sister, Wil van Gogh. The photographer Dirk Jan Le Grand from Breda lived on the same street as Van Gogh's father, according to the collector, making both photos "good candidates."
