Data Firm Claims $50 Garage Sale Painting Is Lost Van Gogh

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A painting purchased for less than $50 at a garage sale in Minnesota may be a lost work by Vincent van Gogh, according to a high-tech analysis by data science firm LMI Group. The artwork, titled *Elimar*, could be worth up to $15 million if authenticated, though the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam disputes the claim.

The painting was initially brought to the Van Gogh Museum in 2018, but the institution rejected it, citing stylistic inconsistencies. The owner later sold it to LMI Group, which conducted a $30,000 analysis combining traditional art authentication methods with advanced scientific techniques. The firm claims the painting was created by Van Gogh in 1889 during his stay at the Saint-Paul asylum in southern France.

LMI Group’s report highlights similarities between *Elimar* and Van Gogh’s known works, including a muted color palette consistent with his later period. The painting also features a handwritten word, “Elimar,” which the firm compared to Van Gogh’s handwriting on other works. A DNA analysis of a red hair found embedded in the canvas suggested it belonged to a man, further fueling speculation about its origins.

Maxwell L. Anderson, an art historian and LMI Group’s chief operating officer, said the painting reflects Van Gogh’s practice of reinterpreting other artists’ works. “The analysis provides fresh insight into the oeuvre of Van Gogh, particularly as it relates to his practice of reinterpreting works by other artists,” Anderson said.

However, the Van Gogh Museum remains unconvinced. A spokesperson stated, “We maintain our view that this is not an authentic painting by Vincent van Gogh.” The museum, considered the principal authority on Van Gogh’s works, has previously rejected independently authenticated pieces.

LMI Group’s findings have sparked debate about the role of technology in art authentication. The firm’s president, Lawrence M. Shindell, said their data-based approach represents a “new standard of confidence” for identifying lost or forgotten works. The company has invited scholars and dealers to view *Elimar* in person.

If authenticated, the painting would join a small group of works from the final years of Van Gogh’s life, a period marked by intense creativity and personal struggle. Recent exhibitions of his late works have drawn record-breaking crowds, underscoring the enduring fascination with the artist.

The discovery also raises questions about the painting’s provenance. LMI Group has not provided information on how *Elimar* ended up in Minnesota, but the firm suggests Van Gogh may have given it away or lost it during his lifetime. The painting’s history prior to 2016 remains unknown, leaving a gap in its story that scholars hope to fill.