A painting by Vincent van Gogh, which was seized by the Nazis during their occupation of France in World War II, was sold at auction in New York for $35.9 million, setting a record price for the Dutch Impressionist's watercolor. Christie's auction house stated that the painting "Meules de blé" (Stacks of Wheat), created in 1888, was sold for a much higher price than pre-auction estimates, which ranged from $20 million to $30 million. The painting was last displayed to the public in 1905.
The artwork depicts a stack of wheat in Arles, France, where van Gogh lived for over a year in the 1880s. Unlike his most famous works that utilized oil paints, van Gogh used watercolors and gouache for this piece. Following van Gogh's suicide at the age of 37, the painting initially passed to his brother Theo. After changing hands among several owners, it was seized by Nazi forces during their occupation of France.
After the war, the painting's whereabouts remained unknown until the 1970s. It was part of a private collection until Christie's acquired it through a settlement with the current owner and the heirs of the original owner. Van Gogh is considered one of the greatest and most influential painters, despite having achieved little commercial success during his lifetime.
