Willem van Gogh, Anneke Boeren, H.E. Andrea Perugini, Ambassador of Italy, Lelio Gavazza, Managing Director of Bvlgari Europe, HSH Princess Lilly zu Sayn Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Bvlgari Brand Ambassador, Lucia Silvestri, Axel Rüger and Fabrizio Buonamassa.
After an absence of fourteen years, the two paintings by Vincent Van Gogh that were feared lost are again on display in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The works were stolen from the collection in 2002 by thieves who needed only a few minutes for the entire operation. The theft was a major blow to the art world.
Last September 2016, a team from the Italian Guardia di Finanza stumbled upon the two paintings during a house search in the vicinity of Naples. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Italian and Dutch authorities, the works could be released relatively soon and begin their journey back to The Netherlands.
Starting today, they have resumed their place in the museum’s collection and are on display in the state in which they were found, without their frames. They are to be on display until 14 May 2018 when they shall be sent for restoration.
‘The homecoming of the recovered paintings “Seascape at Scheveningen” as well as “Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen”, entails that the Van Gogh collection is once more complete.
The return of the paintings to The Netherlands, the research and restoration were made possible by the generous support of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the BankGiro Lottery, Van Lanschot Bank, Heineken, Kikkoman Foods Europe B.V. and BVlgari. Hizkia Van Kralingen and the Hilton Hotel Amsterdam facilitated the transport and presentation of the recovered works.
For further information:
https://www.vangoghmuseum.com/
