The Painter on the Road to Tarascon by Vincent Van Gogh
This painting is also referred to as the Painter on his Way to Work. It is a piece that featured a painter laden with canvas and art supplies. The painter walks through a leaf-laden path amidst a backdrop that is filled with the colors of fall. The painting features all of the artistic techniques that Vincent Van Gogh was known for and was even recreated by Francis Bacon. It was painted in 1888.
The painting’s fate is largely unknown although many believe that it was destroyed. This painting was in the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum as part of its collection. The museum is now known as the Kulturhistorisches Museum. The museum is near Magdeburg, Germany and the museum was the one to report the painting’s destruction.
The painting was claimed by the museum to be stored in the Stassfurt salt mines art repository. On April 12th, 1945, the Allies bombed Magdeburg and many believe that the resulting fires and destruction caused the destruction of this painting. After the bombing, a fire swept through the salt mines and destroyed all the art that was said to be stored there. It was previously thought that all the art stored there by the museum for protection was gone. But one painting from the museum has since resurfaced since the war leaving others to believe that there may be more out there. Perhaps the Painter on the Road to Tarascon still exists somewhere.