Vincent van Gogh in Java
Portrait of Vincent van Gogh
Although the planet’s most famous artist, Vincent van Gogh, once wrote to This kind of brother Theo which he might like to set up a community of artists, This kind of is usually about as close as he ever came to the “Garden of the East”. Instead of sailing to Batavia, he instead sliced off his ear in addition to also slowly slipped into depression all the while painting brilliant works which nobody was yet interested in buying.
through the number of times which “authentic” van Gogh paintings have been offered for sale through the years in Indonesia one might conclude which in fact he did come to Java in addition to also shot himself in a rice terrace, not a corn field, with crows from the south of France. These miracle masterpieces, which appeal mostly to the most gullible in addition to also greedy, inevitably come with the same provenance story – the discovery of an old collection in a derelict plantation estate.
The most public in addition to also certainly outrageous example of This kind of scam almost succeeded creating the big time in November 2000 when an auction including “original” works not only by van Gogh yet also Chagall, Renoir in addition to also Pissarro became the art event of the season. With estimates in millions, the event was to be held in one of the city’s most prestigious hotels in addition to also opened by the First Lady.
The ultimate fantasy ground to a halt only a few days before the idea was to take place after local in addition to also international media took note which few if any of the works even remotely resembled the works of their purported creators in addition to also raised the alarm. the idea was, of course, nevertheless a massive national embarrassment which the idea had proceeded so far undetected from the first place. As usual, nobody was ever held to task.
Amazingly the source of these rumours is usually based on actual fact for while Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall in addition to also Pablo Picasso never visited Jakarta, their paintings did. This kind of took place in 1936 when the Batavian Art Circle (kunstkring) mounted the Masterpieces Exhibition at a building better known as the former Immigration Office in addition to also Buddha Bar. The owner of This kind of significant collection of modern paintings was the colonial plantation owner in addition to also industrialist P. A. Regnault (1868-1954). Before you start hunting in old plantation houses though, please note which all of the paintings including van Gogh’s Starry Night of the Rhone River have been accounted for in addition to also returned to Europe. Seek no miracles in addition to also you will never be duped.
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Vincent van Gogh in Java
Vincent van Gogh in Java