Missing Van Gogh painting reported found in safe-deposit box in Spain

A long-missing painting by Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have been discovered in Spain by tax collectors who were going through the contents of a safe-deposit box. The small work of art, titled “Cypress, Sky and Country,” is thought to have been missing for about four decades.

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the painting, found in December, measures a little more than 1 foot tall and 1 foot wide. (The newspaper ran a photo of the work.)

The landscape painting bears three seals on its back indicating that the work resided in different museums during the 20th century. The most recent seal appears to be from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, according to the report.

El Mundo said that the painting is dated 1889 and was probably created during Van Gogh’s stay at the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence asylum in the south of France. Authorities in Spain are working on authenticating the painting, according to the paper.

The safe-deposit box was one of more than 100 targeted by Spanish officials in a tax-evasion investigation. The painting was discovered unframed in the box, El Mundo said.

Van Gogh’s stay in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence was a productive one. The tormented artist created his most famous painting, “The Starry Night,” at the mental hospital.