In 1968, a London buyer paid 50 euros for a painting in an antique shop: later, he discovered it was a Van Gogh and sold it for 15 million

There are people who have a special gift for finding high-value pieces that have been forgotten by time. There are many cases of antiques that have been stored away in rooms and it was later discovered that they were an object of special value.

A similar case occurred almost 60 years ago, when a buyer of British origin purchased a painting suspecting that it might be of high value. Specifically, it was a design painted by Van Gogh.

A painting signed by “Vicent” whose owner did not think it could be the work of the Dutch painter

"What's curious about the story is that the buyer suspected it might have been painted by a famous artist, but not the seller, who, despite it being signed “Vicent,” dismissed the idea that it had been painted by the celebrated Dutch author. It was a BBC employee, Luigi Grosso, who bought this painting without knowing, but suspecting, its authorship. This painting was acquired by a private individual for only 45 pounds sterling.

Alan Bowness, art historian, helped Grosso identify it. Indeed, the painting was dated to 1885 and was the work titled Peasant Woman in front of a Farmhouse. In addition, an X-ray revealed that there was another painting underneath.

Once it was identified, the investigation focused on the painting's journey around the world from its creation to its acquisition, revealing that it had been abandoned on a farm in Staffordshire and later in an attic.

Since it was acquired, the painting has passed through several hands. It was sold for $110,000 in 1970 at Sotheby's and, after passing through several owners, the most recent sale took place in 2020, when a private collector acquired it during the TEFAF Maastricht fair for an estimated sum of between 12 and 15 million euros.