The person who painted the artwork that was discovered during renovation works in Ghent and was briefly thought to be an original self-portrait of the famous Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh has come forward.
A couple in Ghent, Hannes and Lore, found the painting last week, hidden behind the insulation of a wall on the first floor that they were breaking down while renovating their home. While there were initial indications that the work might have been a genuine Van Gogh, research by Ghent University has now shown that it is not.
Who did paint the work remained a mystery but now, a golden tip by Ghent resident Kris Van Elsen solved the case.
"In the early 1990s I lived in that house," Van Elsen told VRT. "I rented it with a good friend Frank. The house was in a fairly dilapidated state, so two friends suggested that we provide some artistic framing. They painted the walls there and decorated the ceiling with a real starry sky."
The painting was initially thought to be Van Gogh's self-portrait. Credit: Present in Gent/Facebook
"I remember Ingrid, one of the two women, painted a Van Gogh on the landing. After all these years, I have forgotten her surname. She studied art and was the daughter of a hairdresser from Gentbrugge."
The students did not hide the painting and when they left, it was still there. "I suspect the owner renovated it, which is how it got behind a wall." The house was sold in 1993, and the new owner never knew about the painting.
Finding the woman in question proved to be an impossible task, until her son convinced her to report to local newspaper De Gentenaar.
"When the news got out, I was in Milan with students," Ingrid Musenbrock, who now teaches art education, told the newspaper. "I had missed it and heard about it from my parents. I had told the story once. When I saw photos, it all came back."
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"One of my best friends back then was Annuschka, who was Kris' sweetheart. We did indeed paint the house. I do not know why I chose a Van Gogh, I thought it was a fun gimmick at the time," she said.
Musenbrock started with Van Gogh's face but recalled that she got tired of painting after a few hours. "I did the finishing touches very roughly. I was fed up, I remember we had a glass of wine afterwards."
The couple who now live in the house are happy that the mystery was solved in the end. "The many question marks that we had are now gone. It is nice that there has been closure. It is a beautiful story and a beautiful work."
