Van Gogh Museum Rejects Garage Sale Painting as Authentic Masterpiece Despite Tech Firm’s Claims
A $50 garage sale purchase, now called Elimar, is at the heart of a debate between a data science firm and the Van Gogh Museum.
A Minnesota garage sale find, purchased for under $50, was recently hailed as a potential Van Gogh by data science firm LMI Group. The painting, titled Elimar, was attributed to the Dutch Post-Impressionist based on scientific and stylistic analysis conducted over several years. LMI Group insists it has produced a 456-page report that places the work among Van Gogh’s late-period pieces.
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam disagrees. Its specialists reviewed material provided by LMI Group and maintained that Elimar does not match Vincent van Gogh’s authentic style. They have not inspected the painting in person, relying instead on available imagery. Museum representatives said they stand by their conclusion, delivered earlier in 2019, that the work is not by Van Gogh.
LMI Group questions the museum’s position, arguing its team of experts—ranging from chemists to curators—found strong technical and historical evidence linking the painting to the artist’s time in an asylum at Saint-Paul. The firm contends that Van Gogh’s “reinterpreting” of other works, plus the painting’s use of muted colors, supports its claim. Critics note that no established provenance for Elimar existed prior to 2016, casting doubt on whether the painting was ever recorded or recognized in Van Gogh’s known oeuvre.
Observers across the art world remain divided. Some argue advanced methods could uncover new truths about lost masterpieces, while others believe traditional connoisseurship and museum archives remain the most reliable safeguards against misattribution.
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