A special find in Purmerend. Andries van Beek from Beneden-Leeuwen (a small village in Gelderland) has found a photo in a family album of a man he thinks is Vincent van Gogh. In the same album he also found a photo of a woman who he is almost certain is a sister of the famous Dutch painter.
“I am a collector of photography from the 19th century”, Andries tells broadcaster Gelderland. “I bought the photo album with family photos at a flea market in Purmerend. When I got home I studied the photos in the album and thought: that photo could well be of Vincent van Gogh.”
If it is true what Van Beek thinks, then the photo would be a portrait of a 30-year-old Vincent van Gogh. And that would be very special, because so far there is only one photo of the famous Dutch painter. Both photos are now being studied by experts from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Photography was on the rise during his lifetime, but he wouldn’t have been a fan. The photo Andries found was taken in 1883 by photographer Dirk Jan Le Grand from Breda, as can be read on the back. In the album he also found a photo of a woman he suspects is Vincent’s youngest sister.
Relationship between album and families
“I can’t say for sure that it is a photo of Vincent, but it really could very well be,” says the collector from Beneden-Leeuwen. “I’ve presented the photo to several art experts in my circle of friends, and they also think there’s a striking resemblance.”
And a large number of other photos in the album could very well be other relatives of the painter, says Van Beek. “They look alike. I’m pretty sure the photo of the woman I sent to the Van Gogh Museum is Wil van Gogh.”
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According to Van Beek, there is also a connection between the photo album, the Van Gogh family and photographer Dirk Jan Le Grand. “Le Grand lived in the same street in Breda as Vincent’s father, who then lived in Nuenen. The photo album belongs to the Verloop family and someone from that family had a restaurant or hotel in Noordwijk around 1880. Vincent’s sisters celebrated there together vacation.”
Van Gogh Museum examines photos
“I don’t believe in fairy tales, but if you add it all up, this photo is a good candidate to be a photo of Vincent,” says the resident of Beneden-Leeuwen.
Last week he emailed the photos to the Van Gogh Museum. “Of 99.9 percent of the e-mails that people send with possible images of the artist, the museum immediately says: ‘that’s not him’. They did not say that to me. I received an e-mail back from the museum on Thursday with the statement: ‘We are investigating’.”
Even though Andries is not 100 percent sure that the photos are by Vincent and Wil Van Gogh, he secretly dreams that it will turn out that way. “If it really turns out to be a photo of Vincent, then that’s world news, I’ll make it to CNN!”