125-year-old Vincent Van Gogh painting found

Following two years of extensive testing, Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum was convinced that the painting was Van Gogh's.

08:51 11 September 2013

Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum has authenticated a 125-year-old painting and confirmed that it was indeed Van Gogh’s. The painting, which the institution previously rejected in 1990’s, is called Sunset at Montmajour. It depicts the sky, bushes, and trees. The museum used new research techniques and conducted two years of extensive testing before it concluded that the artwork was by the artist.

During an unveiling ceremony, museum director Axel Rueger, described the discovery as “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Researchers, which include Teio Meedendorp, said that they’ve “found answers to all the key questions, which is remarkable for a painting that has been lost for more than 100 years.”

The date when the painting was made was established as Van Gogh’s wrote a letter to his brother about it. He said that he had painted it the previous day – on July 4, 1888.  He added that he painted it on "on a stony heath where small twisted oaks grow".