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Dear Roger and Jo,

So sorry to take this long to reply you both, but I did not want to let this particular issue go any longer without some clarification. In effect, in all this time no voice has been raised to say the authors of the note were right (or wrong) on their claim (this latter must be said as well). On the contrary, an almost absolute silence ensued after it and the painting, whether or not Vincent Van Gogh's self-portrait, remains in exhibition in the Van Gogh's Museum in the Netherlands as if nothing ever happened and that I know, neither has it ever been put down from any major website where it is shown.

This said, below is a very similar self-portrait, enlarged (the hats are identical in both self-portraits; on the other hand, if you want to see more Vincent Van Gogh's self-portraits, please visit here).

Vincent Van Gogh - Self Portrait with a Grey Felt Hat

(oil on board, 1886 - 1887)

Strangely enough, I had voiced this opinion to my tutor a few weeks ago and he had never heard the claim.

Interesting however.

Roger