Restored Van Gogh painting returns to Groninger Museum six years after theft

Six years after the Vincent van Gogh painting The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring was stolen from the Singer Laren museum, the restored work is returning to the Groninger Museum. The painting will be on display again from Tuesday, RTV Noord reported.

The Singer Laren museum had loaned The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring from the Groninger Museum for an exhibition when it was stolen exactly six years ago today, on March 30, 2020. It was recovered with the help of art detective Arthur Brand three years later. The perpetrator has since been sentenced to eight years in prison.

“We are very happy that it is back,” Karina Smrkovsky of the Groninger Museum told the broadcaster. “This work is very special to the museum. We do have more works by Van Gogh in the collection, but this is the only painting.”

The painting was damaged when it was recovered, and the museum initially displayed it with damage and all. “Because we also wanted to show the public: this is what it looks like. You see exactly where the damage was located, which is also very interesting for the public.”

Last year, the painting was restored. From tomorrow, it will be on display undamaged for the first time in years. “Also, for the first time ever, in truly original condition, as we believe Van Gogh painted it. You are really going to see the differences.”

During the restoration, the museum also discovered that the painting was intended as a winter garden, not a spring garden. That was one of the various discoveries made during the restoration, which the museum will reveal once the painting is back on display. “We hope that many people will come to see the painting and become curious about Van Gogh’s technique,” Smrkovsky told RTV Noord.