Was a multi-million van Gogh masterpiece found in a garage sale?

An antiques collector picked up a painting for $50 (€48) at a garage sale in Minnetonka, Minnesota in 2016. Found among photographs and old frames, the previous owner had no idea of the artwork's origin.

It is now believed that the painting, ‘Elimar’, could be an original work by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, possibly painted in 1889 during his stay at Saint-Paul psychiatric sanatorium in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France.

This canvas could be part of his most prolific era - the same period in which the artist produced ‘The Starry Night’ and ‘Prisoners’ Round’.

The potential value of the newly discovered masterpiece has been estimated at around $15 million (€14.5 million).

The new owner had submitted an inquiry to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2018. However, the museum claimed they didn’t believe it was an authentic van Gogh work. They then handed the painting over to LMI Group in 2019 who have spent around five years compiling a newly released report authenticating the painting.

LMI has assessed ‘Elimar’ as an example of van Gogh’s practice of “translating” other artist’s works, in this case the ‘Portrait of Niels Gaihede’ by Danish artist Michael Ancher.

The central figure of ‘Elimar’ is a fisherman with a melancholic gaze, looking far into the distance, while utilising van Gogh’s signature vibrant approach to colour. “Portraits of fishermen and themes of the life at sea were some of his earliest subjects,” the report states.

In the 458-page report, LMI explains how it assessed the provenance of the portrait. “It’s not surprising for a previously unaccounted-for work by van Gogh to emerge in the market today for a number of reasons,” it reads.

“Van Gogh’s disruptive lifestyle, prompted by his ill health and spontaneous movement, resulted in the loss of a significant number of his works and even personal possessions.”

Part of the company’s efforts to authenticate the work came from an analysis of the written inscription of the work’s name ‘Elimar’ on the canvas.

Scientific Analysis of Fine Art president Jennifer Mass also found that the canvas’ thread count matched those used during the era, as well as the pigments used to paint the artwork.

One pigment did register as an anomaly though. The pigment used to create the violet hues in the portrait’s sky were credited to a French patent from the early 20th century. However, research by patent lawyers found a patent for the pigment registered in Paris in 1883 – where van Gogh’s brother Theo could have procured and sent it to the painter.

While the extensive research by LMI’s 20 experts suggests ‘Elimar’ is a real van Gogh, it has yet to be officially authenticated. For that to happen, it must be validated by a scholar at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which originally rejected the claim.