Experts war over whether “lost” Van Gogh notebook is real

PanARMENIAN.Net - The discovery of 65 previously unknown drawings said to be by Vincent Van Gogh set off a bitter row about their authenticity Tuesday, November 15 with Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum dismissing as fakes what others hailed as one of the biggest art world finds in years, AFP reports.

In a damning statement, the museum claimed the contents of the "so-called lost sketchbook" unveiled by French publishers were imitations and "could not be attributed to Vincent Van Gogh".

But the experts behind the discovery accused the museum of "jealousy", and told AFP that "it was not the first time the Van Gogh Museum has got it wrong".

The "lost" sketches come from the Dutch artist's time in the southern French city of Arles, when he produced some of his greatest paintings, including "Bedroom in Arles", "The Night Cafe" and "Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers".

Seven of Van Gogh's works are among the 30 most expensive paintings ever sold.

The museum's dramatic intervention came as the respected French publishing house Le Seuil was unveiling copies of the sketches to reporters in Paris.

Its book reproducing the drawings, "Vincent Van Gogh, the fog of Arles: the rediscovered sketchbook", is to be published across the world Thursday.