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 Dr Gachet by Van Gogh, 1890, from private collectionVan Gogh’s ‘last painting’ valued at $100 million
The final canvas ever painted by Vincent Van Gogh could belong to a Greek writer - the daughter of a WW2 resistance fighter. That’s according to Britain’s Guardian newspaper. The portrait of the artist’s pysician, Dr Gachet, was purportedly drawn just days before the Dutch painter committed suicide in a bout of insanity.
Experts are now trying to determine the authenticity of the picture. Its owner, Doretta Peppa, said a recognised institution will soon announce the results of its assessment.
According to Peppa, the portrait belonged to a Jewish family in France before it was stolen from them by the Nazis during the Second World War. It was later brought to an Athens exhibition centre for looted treasures. In 1944 the work was among others “liberated” by her father in a raid on a German train.
Understanding its value, he kept it stored in a safe place for years.
It had been thought Van Gogh painted two portraits of his doctor, one of which is in the collection of the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, and the other belongs to a private collector.
Taking into account the abundance of counterfeits of Van Gogh’s work, some are doubtful about the newly-found portrait. But the owner says a Nazi stamp on it is an additional proof of its authenticity.
If genuine, the painting is believed to be worth about $US 100 million.
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