MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.-NGV Director Gerard Vaughan today announced findings from the Van Gogh Museum’s analysis of the NGV’s painting, Head of a man, traditionally given to Vincent van Gogh.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam believes the painting is not by Vincent van Gogh. The Museum concludes that it is not a forgery, but rather is by an as yet unidentified contemporary of Van Gogh.

The Van Gogh Museum based its findings on perceived stylistic differences between the NGV’s painting and other portraits and self-portraits by Van Gogh from around the mid to late 1880s.

The Museum did not find material qualities, either in the canvas or paint which were not contemporaneous with Van Gogh. In other words, there were no “modern pigments” in the work which could only have existed after Van Gogh’s time.

However, the Museum did find that some qualities relating to how the ground layer was applied occurred in no other picture they have analysed, and would thus make this picture unique within Van Gogh’s accepted oeuvre, leading to the conclusion that it is not by Van Gogh. They also concluded that the use of pure ochre as found in the painting is unlike any other works by Van Gogh known at this time, and is therefore anomalous.

The report also bases some of its conclusions on the inability to identify a sitter, the difficulty of establishing provenance before the 1920s, and the fact that there are no concrete references to the painting in Van Gogh’s letters.

NGV Director Dr Gerard Vaughan said that the NGV accepted the Van Gogh Museum’s findings. He acknowledged that the painting had always been regarded as ‘off beat’ and difficult to slot into the accepted chronological development of Van Gogh’s style.

The NGV was fully committed to researching its holdings and to seeking the most expert opinions in relation to attribution. He said that while naturally the NGV was disappointed that the work now appears not to be by Van Gogh, such a reattribution should also be seen as part of the normal work of a public gallery.

“This picture has been in our collection since 1940, when the NGV acquired the work from the French and British Contemporary Art exhibition which toured Australia in 1939 -1940.”

“It was purchased as a Van Gogh work, and had been accepted as a Van Gogh for more than a decade before the NGV’s purchase. It has been included in every catalogue raisonné of the artist’s work by eminent Van Gogh scholars, and has been included without question in major touring exhibitions”, said Dr Vaughan.

“The reattribution of paintings is part of the daily life in any major gallery with a large and complex collection,” said Dr Vaughan. “We regularly change the labels to reflect new research and scholarly opinion.

“In the recent past, we have upgraded the attribution of several key works. Further major news I can announce today is that we have just confirmed with leading international experts the reattribution of a major work: Grand Canal looking north-east to the Rialto Bridge from Studio of Canaletto to Bernardo Bellotto, Canaletto’s nephew and one of the greatest view painters of the 18th century.

“Changes in attribution need to be seen in this broader context.”

Over recent years, the following major NGV works have also been reattributed positively, following intensive consultation with leading international authorities.

* A monk with a book from 16th century Northern Italian to Titian
* St George slaying the dragon, from 15th century Florentine to Uccello
* Kissing babes, from Unknown to Auguste Rodin
* Portrait of a gentleman, from Unknown 18th French century to Louis Tocqué (French 1696-1772)
* Portrait of Rembrandt, from Rembrandt to Unknown, and then recently returned to Rembrandt’s studio
* Doge Pietro Loredano by Tintoretto, thought by many to be a copy. New technical examination has now revealed changes to the painting that could only be by Tintoretto, and thus it is now accepted as the authentic first version of this famous portrait
* Rachel du Ruvigny by van Dyck, considered a studio copy. After direct comparison with the version in Cambridge and exhaustive technical examination, the NGV’s painting is now recognised as the primary version by van Dyck, not a studio copy.

Dr Vaughan said that since the gallery was established nearly 150 years ago, many works have had their attribution changed, and this is standard practice in every art gallery in the world.

“Scholars across the world constantly review and argue about the authorship of artworks, especially masterpieces, often holding differing views. At the NGV, we always welcome and participate in such debates”, said Dr Vaughan.

The Van Gogh Museum undertook a three phase approach to analysis of Head of a man:

Scientific analysis. Samples were taken by the Van Gogh Museum and were analysed by the Institute of Dutch Cultural Heritage, which regularly undertakes scientific analysis on behalf of major Dutch museums.

X-ray techniques. The canvas was only truly visible under radiograph

Visual connoisseurship. This involved expert comparison with other works from similar time and place, and also Van Gogh’s earlier works, both under microscope and by making observations on general style and technique.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has the largest holding of the artist’s work in the world, and is uniquely placed to undertake this comparative process.

Finally, who was the painter?

"It is possible that one day evidence will emerge which will help us identify this interesting artist", said Dr Vaughan.