A painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (ca. 1564–1637), which had been registered as missing since 1974, has unexpectedly surfaced in Museum Gouda, according to CodArt. The work was exhibited last year as part of the Blazing Fires – Art Treasures from the Rijks exhibition, without it being known that it was a stolen painting.

John Brozius, editor of the Dutch magazine Vind, recognized the painting through a mention in a Polish article about an art theft from 1974. In that year, the National Museum of Gdansk discovered by chance that a painting by Brueghel had been stolen, when an employee accidentally dropped it. The work turned out to be a reproduction on paper, cut from a magazine. A drawing by Anthony van Dyck that hung next to it was also found to have been stolen.

The painting depicts a peasant woman carrying a bucket of water and tongs holding a glowing coal. Six versions of this depiction are known. By comparing the subtle differences, it was possible to identify the copy in Gouda as the stolen piece from Gdansk.

The museum and the private owner were unaware of the painting’s provenance. The case is currently being investigated by the Art & Antiquities Crime team of the Dutch National Police. Discussions are underway with the Polish authorities regarding a possible return.”