Auction gem: exceptional work by an old master

It remained hidden in a private collection for 120 years, but tomorrow the masterpiece will finally go under the hammer. A work by none other than painter Vincent van Gogh. In 'Auction gem of the week' the expected proceeds...

It was hidden in a private collection for no less than 120 years, but tomorrow the masterpiece will be auctioned after all. A work of art by none other than painter Vincent van Gogh. In 'Auction gem of the week' the intended proceeds…

Van Gogh hoped to one day become a figure painter. So he was constantly drawing and painting studies of heads. He portrayed many men and women who worked on farms around Nuenen. According to the painter, they represent the hard life of agricultural workers.

The woman depicted in the painting that will be auctioned is Gordina de Groot. Fun fact: Gordina can also be seen in the company of Van Gogh's early masterpiece The Potato Eaters. 

Tender

However, Vincent's contacts with Gordina caused a scandal in the village. A letter to his brother Theo shows that Vincent had portrayed the woman more often. When Gordina was pregnant, people in the village thought she was pregnant with Vincent. However, in the letter Vincent says that this was not true at all. According to auction house Christie's, the work nevertheless suggests a special tenderness between the artist and the woman, which becomes clear through the special look in her eyes.

The work will be auctioned by Christies on February 28. The expected yield is between € 1 in € 2 million.