At a quiet garage sale in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a casual purchase turned into an extraordinary revelation. In 2016, an antique collector picked up a painting for just $50 (roughly Rs 4,300), unaware that it might be a lost masterpiece by Vincent van Gogh. Nearly a decade later, that unassuming artwork, now named Elimar, is at the center of an art world frenzy, potentially worth $15 million (approximately Rs 130 crore).
Elimar depicts an elderly fisherman with a white beard, pipe in hand, mending his net on a desolate beach. Measuring about 18 inches by 16.5 inches, the painting is marked by thick impasto oil strokes — a hallmark of Van Gogh’s technique. The name Elimar appears inscribed in the lower right corner, possibly identifying the fisherman himself.
Following its discovery, the artwork caught the attention of LMI Group International, a New York-based art research firm. They acquired Elimar in 2019 for an undisclosed sum and launched a meticulous four-year investigation into its authenticity. A team of 20 experts, including chemists and art historians, examined the painting’s pigments and canvas fibers. Their comprehensive 450-page report revealed that all but one of the pigments matched those found in Van Gogh’s known works.
Maxwell L Anderson, Chief Operating Officer of LMI Group, told ARTNews that the analysis provides fresh insights into Van Gogh’s artistic practices, particularly his inclination to reinterpret other artists’ works. Experts believe Elimar could have been painted in 1889 during Van Gogh’s stay at the Saint-Paul psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France — a prolific period during which he created around 150 canvases, including The Starry Night and Irises.
Yet, despite the promising evidence, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam remains unconvinced. According to PEOPLE, the museum acknowledged the LMI Group’s findings but maintained its original 2019 stance: “Based on our previous opinion on the painting in 2019, we maintain our view that this is not an authentic painting by Vincent van Gogh.” Art authenticator Richard Polsky, who was not involved in the research, told ARTNews that definitive authentication would require endorsement from a Van Gogh Museum scholar.
For now, Elimar sits in a gray area — caught between the possibility of being a priceless masterpiece and an enigmatic imitation. Whether it’s a hidden gem or an extraordinary coincidence, the mystery continues to captivate the art world.