Van Gogh sketches go on public display for first time in 100 years

A drawing by Vincent van Gogh titled The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry, dating to March 1886. Pics/ AP and AFP

Art lovers are in for a rare treat as four forgotten works by Dutch masters Vincent van Gogh and 17th-century painter Govert Flinck have gone on display, after gathering dust for more than 100 years.

The works include a never-before-seen Van Gogh drawing, which had been in private hands until now.

Called The Hill of Montmartre with Quarries, Van Gogh's monochrome artwork dates from 1886 when he was living in Antwerp and Paris, where he worked at the studio of leading French historical painter Fernand Cormon.

The sketch, together with a second drawing The Hill of Montmartre, were unveiled Tuesday at an exhibition at the Singer Laren museum in central Netherlands.

"Such a discovery is always great. It's really exceptional and does not often happen," Teio Meedendorp, senior researcher for the Amsterdam-based Van Gogh Museum, said.

Meanwhile, two previously forgotten works by Rembrandt's student Govert Flinck (1615-1660) were also revealed to the public at the Amsterdam Museum for the first time on Tuesday since disappearing around 1895.

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