An early Vincent van Gogh painting, The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, stolen from a Dutch museum three and a half years ago, has been recovered thanks to renowned art detective Arthur Brand. The painting, estimated to be worth between $3.2 and $6.4 million, was returned by an anonymous tipster who dropped it off at Brand’s Amsterdam apartment in an Ikea bag. The thief responsible for the heist, Nils M., was arrested in April 2021 and sentenced to eight years in prison. The painting had circulated in the criminal underworld but remained unsold due to the legal risks involved. Brand, who has a track record of recovering stolen artworks, gained the tipster’s confidence before the painting was returned. The Groninger Museum, which owns the painting, states that it has suffered some damage during its time in storage and requires examination and restoration before it can be displayed again.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dutch-art-detective-recovers-a-van-gogh-stolen-in-2020-180982896/