LONDON: As the first of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings to become part of a public museum collection, the provenance of“Poplars Near Nuenen” is easily traceable. The landscape’s restoration history, however, has not been as straightforward.

Painted on a used canvas, it has another work beneath it. An early attempt at restoration weakened the paint’s already compromised stability. And questions about added brush strokes remained unresolved. Read more