Last summer Dutch art dealer Bob Albricht of Kunstgalerij Albricht acquired ‘View of the New Church and old houses in The Hague’ from a French private collector. This work, painted by Vincent Van Gogh in 1883, is regarded as one of the highlights of TEFAF New York, the first edition to be held abroad of the most prestigious art fair in the world, from Oct. 22 to 26 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.

‘View of the New Church and old houses in The Hague’ is an oil painting on canvas, mounted on panel. It is one of the rare works by Van Gogh that was still privately held. The painting, measuring 35.5 x 26 cm ( 13,8” x 10,2”), has been described in numerous important publications and has been on loan at several exhibitions since 1903.

Said Bob Albricht: “The chances of finding another oil painting by Vincent van Gogh in a private collection and which has hardly ever been exhibited are very small. In 1970, this painting changed hands for the last time when it was bought by a French collector. For the first time in 46 years the work is now on the market again. It is not only the highlight of my collection, but I think it’s probably one of the highlights of TEFAF New York Fall 2016.”

The painting is typical for Van Gogh’s early work. No iconic sun flowers or interiors, none of his later coloration. That does not mean however that the expert cannot recognize the hand of the master. Bob Albricht: “One of the most fascinating aspects of this work is that I keep discovering more and more details that unmistakeably bear Van Gogh’s signature. This may be the reason why the work is still captivating today, its many layers gradually revealing the virtuosity of the painter’s technique and composition.”

At Bob Albricht’s request, Fred Leeman, the former head curator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, made an extensive art-historical description of the work. In this description Leeman says about the painting: “The treatment of the paint reveals a sure hand, capable of suggesting a surface with a few powerful strokes of paint or creating light between the houses with a few thin, white lines. Therefore, it is likely that the painting was made during the last months of Van Gogh’s Hague period, between July and September 1883 and it may be regarded as the painter’s personal keepsake of The Hague.”

Kunstgalerij Albricht has its principal establishment in Oosterbeek (near Arnhem in The Netherlands) and a branch in London (UK). It specialises in 19th- and early 20th-century art. In its 45-year history the gallery has sold two paintings and ten drawings by Vincent Van Gogh.

Facts & Figures Vincent van Gogh ( 1853 – 1890)

• Van Gogh studied theology and was a pastor before choosing to become an artist at the age of 27.
• Vincent van Gogh only spent the last 10 years of his life working as an artist.
• His oeuvre includes 900 paintings and 1100 works on paper, drawings and water colours.
• Some describe Van Gogh’s work as the work of a brilliant madman. This is however inaccurate, as he never painted during his periods of madness.
• During his life, Van Gogh wrote over 800 letters, mostly to his brother and best friend Theo.
• Van Gogh features many times in the top 100 most expensive paintings sold.
• During his life, however, Van Gogh sold only a few paintings: ‘The red vineyard’ for 400 Belgian francs; this same painting fetched 148.6 million dollar in 1990.
• Van Gogh was too poor to pay for models, which is why he often painted farmers and agricultural labourers.
• Van Gogh tried to commit suicide with a gun; he was not mortally wounded by the shot, but died instead from an infection of the wound.