Van Gogh's 'The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring' stolen from Singer Laren Museum during COVID-19 lockdown

In the early morning of 30 March 2020, Vincent van Gogh's artwork 'The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring' (1884) was taken by thieves from the Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands. At that time, the museum was closed due to COVID-19 lockdown measures imposed by the government, impacting various institutions and businesses nationwide. The painting, which was part of an ongoing exhibition, was on loan from the Groninger Museum. To address the theft, museum officials have initiated an investigation, collaborating with forensic experts, detectives, and the national crime squad that specializes in art theft. This incident exposed security weaknesses during the pandemic closure when the museum was unstaffed.