A Vincent Van Gogh painting that was sold for just £4 in the 1960s is set to be auctioned for £13 million, after its authenticity was confirmed. Peasant Woman in Front of a Farmhouse, painted by the 33-year-old artist in 1885 four years before his death, is believed to be one of the first ever works Van Gogh offered for sale. The painting was revealed to be a real Van Gogh work in the late 1960s when an X-ray uncovered the initial sketch under the paint of a man ploughing with oxen - linking the work to another by the artist at that time. The prolific artist did not start painting until the age of 27 or 28 and died at the young age of 37 in 1890. During his decade spent painting Van Gogh created around 900 works on canvas and 1,100 works on paper - equating to around two paintings and two drawings a week.

Source: Daily Mail February 12, 2020 02:02 UTC