He didn't sign for it. The delivery man, a criminal uninvolved with the theft, smiled and fled. Then Brand ran upstairs, where a colleague videoed him removing a pillowcase from a blue Ikea bag. Andreas Blühm, the director of the Netherlands' Groninger Museum, who was waiting at a nearby cafe, rushed over to confirm it was the Van Gogh stolen while it was on loan from his museum to the Singer Laren museum three years ago. The recovery of The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring was soon all over the news.
"I have two rules," says Brand, 54, nursing a black Earl Grey and taking a bite of his stroopwafel, "I never break the law because I always work with police, and I never give up informants.
Otherwise they will shoot you dead ... if you tell people they can know where you live, they trust you."
For 15 years, Brand has been an art detective. He remembers the face of every person he meets, and often spends Saturdays "sitting on a bench somewhere in the dark with a criminal who has just been released from prison", and Sundays chatting with police about cases.
His consultancy, Artiaz, helps establish the provenance of pieces.
Denne historien er fra September 26, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra September 26, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Bajrami and McCausland to the fore as Rangers seal impressive victory
Rangers made a storming start to their Europa League campaign with a 2-0 win over Malmö in Sweden that should have been even more emphatic. Nedim Bajrami scored his first goal for the Ibrox club in less than a minute and Philippe Clement's side passed up several chances to add a second before the interval.
Thames credit ratings cut to lower levels of junk as default fears grow
Thames Water's debt rating has been slashed to the lower levels of junk by two major credit rating agencies, piling further pressure on the UK's biggest water company, which is rapidly running through cash and fighting to stave off renationalisation.
Austria Fears rise over prospect of far-right election win
After topping the Austrian poll in June's EU elections, the far-right Freedom party (FPÖ) seized the moment, calling for the appointment of an EU \"remigration\" commissioner to be tasked with the forced return of migrants and citizens with a migration background to their countries of origin.
'Cold and direct' Fayed's security chief accused of facilitating abuse
It was May 1991 and Mohamed AI Fayed was in a foul mood. \"I told you, no sex with anybody else, no relationship with anybody else,\" he ranted.
Allegations made over tycoon's years at Fulham FC
Sexual assault allegations have been made relating to Mohamed AI Fayed's 16 years of ownership of Fulham Football Club, lawyers representing his accusers have said.
'No sane people are going' Leadership race casts pall over Tory conference
On Tuesday, four candidates will make their pitches to lead the Conservative party from a conference stage in Birmingham. Their immediate challenge after the Tory rout this summer will be to reinvigorate demoralised MPs and members.
Pandemic as deadly as Covid-19 'a certainty', says Whitty
Another pandemic as big as the Covid crisis that killed 7 million people worldwide was \"a certainty\", Prof Sir Chris Whitty warned yesterday, as he said the UK's lack of intensive care capacity for the sickest patients was a \"political choice\".
Naomi Campbell banned as charity trustee for five years
Naomi Campbell has been banned from being a charity trustee after a watchdog investigation uncovered widespread evidence of financial misconduct at the poverty relief charity she founded.
Family haunted by last moments of teenager killed by 12-year-olds
The family of a man killed by the UK's youngest knife murderers have said they are haunted by thoughts of his last moments and \"how scared he must have been\".
London rail stations to be shut for up to eight days over festive period
Some of London's main railway stations will be closed and train services diverted at Christmas time, Network Rail has said.
