A sketch by Vincent van Gogh, the late Dutch impressionist painter, has been unveiled for the first time. According to the BBC and other media, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam on Thursday exhibited “Study for Worn Out”, which was painted by Gogh with a pencil when he was 29. The painting was drawn by Gogh in November 1882 while living in The Hague, and depicts an old man, a worker who lived in his neighborhood. The old man sits in a chair, leaning forward, raising his face with his fists, as if he is under the weight of life.

Gogh left seminary school in 1878 and gave up his dream of becoming a member of the clergy, and chose to pursue a career as a painter from the 1880s at the suggestion of his younger brother Theo van Gogh. “Study for Worn Out” was one of the paintings he painted to improve his sketch drawing skills in his second year after becoming a professional painter. Some observers say the painting is one of the earliest prototypes of “Old Man in Sorrow”, a masterpiece by the legendary painter.

Henk Bremerer, a Dutch art collector, bought the painting in 1910 and never made it public. He inherited the coin from his children. His descendants recently asked the Van Gogh Museum to verify the painting to confirm that it is an authentic and unpublished painting of Gogh. The painting will be on display at the Van Gogh Museum until January 2 next year before being returned to its owner.

Youn-Jong Kim [email protected]