The Letters of Vincent van Gogh van Gogh had completed his second group of "Sunflower" paintings, amongst his most iconic paintings, two of which decorated Gauguin's room, as well as his famous painting "The Yellow House" depicting the house they shared. The letter is unique in being a joint letter from the two, and can be read in both the original French and an English translation at the website of the Van Gogh Museum's edition of the letters. In it they discuss, amongst other matters, their plans to form an artists' commune, possibly abroad. In reality their relationship was always fraught, and by the end of
Posthumous fame of Vincent van Gogh Amsterdam, in a brutal and audacious robbery by experienced, professional thieves. Both of the stolen works were considered important - "Beach at Scheveningen in Stormy Weather" (1882) was van Gogh's first work in oil and "Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen" was painted by van Gogh for his mother and later adjusted after the death of his father. The daring raid on the gallery, by professional burglar Octave Durham and an accomplice, took only 3 minutes and 40 seconds. After a gap of some 14 years, both works were eventually recovered, in Castellammare di Stabia, near Pompeii, from Italian