Minnesota Man Says He Scored a $15 MILLION Van Gogh for $50!

A surprising garage sale find in Minnesota sparked a multimillion-dollar art mystery — until experts poured cold water on the claim. 🌐 #News #MinneapolisMN #Minnesota #Lifestyle

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A painting once believed to be a long-lost Vincent van Gogh masterpiece — purchased for just $50 at a Minnesota garage sale — has been ruled inauthentic by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, despite a years-long push by art experts to prove otherwise.

From Backyard Bargain to Global Scrutiny

The artwork in question, titled Elimar, depicts a fisherman smoking a pipe and was initially estimated to be worth $15 million. The buyer had rediscovered the oil canvas in a garage and reached out to international authorities to verify its origin. Early excitement surrounded the piece, with art lovers and collectors intrigued by the possibility of uncovering a previously undocumented van Gogh.

Expert Team Invests Big in Validation Efforts

LMI Group International, an art authentication firm based in New York, launched an extensive investigation into the painting. Their team of 20 analysts spent years comparing the piece to known van Gogh works, evaluating brushwork, facial features, color usage, and canvas structure. A 458-page report was produced, costing $30,000 to complete.

While the painting lacked van Gogh’s signature, researchers noted the word “ELIMAR” in the corner and drew comparisons between its lettering and van Gogh’s known inscriptions. They also discovered a red human hair embedded in the paint, which DNA tests confirmed belonged to a male — though the identity could not be determined due to age and degradation.

Museum Rejects Claims Despite New Findings

The Van Gogh Museum, which had previously examined the work in 2019 and dismissed it as a fake, reaffirmed its stance after reviewing the new report. Citing stylistic discrepancies and a lack of compelling evidence, the museum stood by its conclusion that Elimar is not an authentic van Gogh.

Hope Still Flickers for the Believers

Despite the verdict, the LMI Group continues to argue that Elimar could be an undocumented original. Their report suggested that given van Gogh’s extensive portfolio and troubled history, it’s possible that other undiscovered works may still exist — and Elimar could be one of them.

Did You Know?

Van Gogh created more than 900 paintings and over 1,100 drawings in his lifetime, often working at an astonishing pace (Metropolitan Museum of Art).
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is the world’s leading authority on the Dutch artist’s works and receives over 2 million visitors annually (Van Gogh Museum).
In 2023, a long-lost van Gogh drawing was found and authenticated — proving that genuine discoveries, though rare, still happen (BBC News).

A Moment for Reflection

Sometimes, we cling to the hope that what we’ve found is valuable — not just in price, but in meaning. This story reminds us that truth doesn’t always match our expectations, but there’s beauty in the pursuit. Whether authentic or not, the joy sparked by the possibility reflects our yearning for something greater. And just like art, faith often requires believing in what we cannot fully prove — trusting that, in time, what’s meant to be revealed will come to light.

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RELATED TOPICS: History | Lifestyle | Minnesota | Netherlands