Hostage-like photos have emerged of a stolen painting by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, with an art detective warning that the thief is likely to be looking for a buyer.
Photos of the stolen painting recently began circulating in the criminal underground. Art detective Arthur Brand shared the images on his Twitter account after they were sent to him.
The photos appear to show Van Gogh’s painting “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring” alongside a copy of the New York Times published on May 30, 2020.
Brand had to rely on an inside source from his network, whose identity he didn’t wish to disclose, to get his hands on the images, which he said are making the rounds in mafia circles. The art detective also stated that it is unlikely that the thief is trying to ransom the painting, but rather is probably trying to find a buyer for the stolen item.
Brand said that famous stolen artworks are extremely difficult to sell on the black market, and that Van Gogh’s “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring” would net the thief only a small portion of its market worth in an illegal deal.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
