More than 120 years after Vincent van Gogh 's death , a new painting by the Dutch master has come to light . The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam , which holds the largest collection of the artist 's work , announced Monday the discovery of the newly identified painting , a landscape titled `` Sunset at Montmajour . '' `` A discovery of this magnitude has never before occurred in the history of the Van Gogh Museum , '' the museum 's director , Axel Ruger , said in a statement . Van Gogh is believed to have completed the relatively large painting in 1888 , two years before his death and during `` a period that is considered by many to be the culmination of his artistic achievement , '' Ruger said . The picture depicts a landscape in the vicinity of Arles in the south of France , where van Gogh was working at that time , the museum said . Museum discovers 'new ' van Gogh painting . Ruger said the museum attributed the painting to van Gogh after `` extensive research into style , technique , paint , canvas , the depiction , van Gogh 's letters and the provenance . '' Starting September 24 , it will appear in `` Van Gogh At Work , '' an exhibition currently on show at the museum in Amsterdam . From the 'Sunflowers ' period . Van Gogh ( 1853-1890 ) crafted some of the world 's best known and most loved paintings , including `` Sunflowers , '' `` Irises '' and `` Starry Night , '' and a number of self-portraits . He painted `` Sunset at Montmajour '' during the same period in which he produced `` Sunflowers , '' Ruger said . Van Gogh achieved little recognition as an artist during his lifetime , but his reputation blossomed in the years after his suicide at the age of 37 , following years of mental illness . His works now hang in leading museums and galleries around the world . During the art market boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s , three of van Gogh 's works succeeded each other as the most expensive paintings ever sold : `` Sunflowers '' for $ 39.9 million , `` Irises '' for $ 53.9 million and `` Portrait of Dr. Gachet '' for $ 82.5 million . In its statement , the Van Gogh Museum did n't divulge the full story behind the discovery of `` Sunset at Montmajour , '' saying it would be published in the October edition of The Burlington Magazine , a fine art publication , and at the museum . Louis van Tilborgh and Teio Meedendorp , two senior researchers at the museum , said the painting had belonged to the collection of van Gogh 's younger brother , Theo , in 1890 and was sold in 1901 . Saving van Gogh 's home from dereliction .
The painting has been identified as a van Gogh after ` ` extensive research , '' a museum says . ` ` A discovery of this magnitude has never before occurred , '' the Van Gogh Museum says . The picture is from 1888 , during a period considered by many to be the high point of his career . It depicts a landscape in the south of France , where van Gogh was working at the time .