$50 painting bought at garage sale may be a Van Gogh piece, experts say

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (WCCO) – A group of art experts believes a painting bought for $50 at a Minnesota garage sale was painted by none other than Dutch master Vincent Van Gogh.

The conclusion was reached after they spent years studying it.

The global art mystery began at a garage sale in Minnetonka after a simple painting that could be worth millions was bought.

The oil-canvas painting called “Elimar” depicts a man puffing a pipe at a beach.

The LMI Group, an art research firm from New York, bought the painting and believes it is a Van Gogh masterpiece..

A critical clue is in the piece: A single hair was discovered embedded in the painting’s surface, which researchers used to analyze DNA and find a descendent.

The result was inconclusive because of time and environmental exposure. However, they were able to detect the presence of male DNA.

This piece of evidence is one of the reasons the group believes the painting to be a Van Gogh.

They also found a finishing that Van Gogh used to protect his other canvases.

As a Van Gogh painting, the piece could be worth up to $15 million.