On Wednesday, June 12, Zhytomyr border guards, together with their Polish colleagues, found the long-lost painting "Eliezer and Rebecca at the Well". It was being attempted to be sold by a Ukrainian who had moved to Poland.
This information was reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The painting by Dutch artist Jan Linsen, "Eliezer and Rebecca at the Well," was created in 1629. Until 2005, it was housed in the Westfries Museum in the Netherlands before being stolen.
"This painting is of exceptional value. It had been sought by Interpol for many years, as it was stolen from the Dutch Westfries Museum on January 9, 2005. At that time, a total of 24 paintings and 70 silver objects were taken, many of which are still considered missing," explained the border service.
Recently, it was discovered that a Ukrainian citizen attempted to sell the canvas. The man had moved to the Republic of Poland but continued to seek clients in Ukraine. Border guards received and verified information about the seller's activities. Confirming the attempt to sell the painting, they informed the authorities of Poland about the illegal actions.
Working together with Polish colleagues and representatives of the Dutch embassy, they managed to seize the painting from the man.
Currently, he has been placed under three months of arrest and charged. The investigation will be conducted by the Krakow District Prosecutor's Office in Poland.
Jan Linsen was a Dutch artist of the 17th century who painted works on historical and mythological themes. He spent a long time traveling in France and Italy, and in Rome, he joined the society of artists known as "Bentvueghels" ("Birds of a Feather" in Dutch). There, he adopted the pseudonym Hermaphroditus.
