Canvas & Consequence

The Great Sunflower Heist (Or: How Van Gogh's Biggest Fan Tried to Burn Down His Legacy)

Episode Summary

In 1987, a Japanese insurance executive paid $40 million for Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'—then threatened to have it cremated with his corpse. This is the wild story of how obsessive collectors, nationalist art politics, and one man's death wish nearly destroyed one of the world's most beloved paintings.