Dutch police this week retrieved a Van Gogh painting stolen over three years ago, thanks to a tip from an "art detective" who returned the painting in an Ikea bag. 

"The Groninger Museum is extremely happy and relieved that the work is back," its director, Andreas Blühm, said in a statement after police reclaimed the painting Tuesday. "We are very grateful to everyone who contributed to this good outcome."

Vincent van Gogh’s "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring" went missing in March 2020 during a nighttime smash-and-grab at the Singer Laren museum in Amsterdam, where the painting hung while on loan from the Groninger Museum. 

Arthur Brand, a Dutch art professor-turned-"art detective" who has successfully recovered a number of stolen works, played a "key role" in recovering the work, which Brand noted had been stolen on Van Gogh’s birthday.

FORMER POLICE OFFICERS SENTENCED FOR STEALING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM DRIVERS DURING TRAFFIC STOPS

Video from Brand's social media showed him bringing the painting back to his apartment in an Ikea bag, with the work itself wrapped many times in bubble wrap and cushioned packaging. The 10-by-22-inch oil on paper painting shows a person standing in a garden surrounded by trees with a church tower in the background.

Security footage from the museum showed a man in a thick coat and a ski mask making his way through the backrooms of the museum carrying the painting and another work rolled up. Brand then received pictures of the painting just months later as evidence of "proof of life" that the work remained unharmed. 

BRAZEN CALIFORNIA BURGLAR BREAKS INTO HOME, STEALS HERMES BLANKETS

Brand said the pictures had circulated in Mafia circles. The photos featured the painting alongside a book about a thief who stole two Van Gogh paintings from an Amsterdam museum and a May 2020 copy of the New York Times discussing the thief’s own heist that year. 

Dutch police in 2021 then arrested a 58-year-old, later identified only as Nils M, on suspicion of stealing paintings, including the Van Gogh work, that totaled around $22.4 million, ABC News reported. Police called the arrest an "important step" in the investigation, as they did not recover the paintings Nils had stolen. 

FLORIDA MAN PLOWS STOLEN EXCAVATOR INTO WALMART, POLICE SAY

In a statement, the police noted that artworks can serve as collateral for organized crime and had intercepted messages that gave "good insight" into the criminal trade "in these types of valuable objects." 

The Groninger Museum declined to provide details as to how it ultimately recovered the painting but promised that the work would hang in its galleries soon, although that may not happen for a few months, as the painting has "suffered" even as the museum assured that the work is "still in good condition." 

The return of the painting also raises a quirk in the ownership, since an insurance company had already paid out for the loss and now owns the work. The Groninger Museum insisted that it would have the right of first purchase for the work. 

A person found guilty of art theft in the Netherlands can serve up to eight years in prison. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

How do people of faith express that faith — show it, live it, remember it, honor it — during their busy and demanding work lives today, especially when challenge and often conflict can be part of the workday?

Fox News Digital asked an array of faith leaders and others in the limelight this question in September 2023.

"As a writer, faith is not merely worked out in relationships with people, but in how I actually pursue my craft," responded Brian Godawa of Dallas, Texas.

AS SUICIDE RATES INCREASE, FAITH LEADER SHARES 3 KEY POINTS, NOTING, ‘HOPE IS AVAILABLE TO EVEYRONE’ 

Godawa is a screenwriter ("My Son Hunter") as well as an author ("Cruel Logic: The Philosopher Killer"). 

"My storytelling," he added, "reflects my Christian worldview and values through the drama of human choices and consequences."

Said Godawa as well in comments shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, "I do not exploit evil for entertainment value, but as a necessary component of redemptive storytelling."

He added fervently, "In all my writing, I seek to obey God’s commands. Have no gods before Him: I do not seek success or fame, but to honor God with my craft of excellence regardless of results and sometimes despite being rejected for its message."

PREGNANT WOMAN WITH BRAIN CANCER REFUSES ABORTION: ‘KILLING MY BABY WOULDN'T HAVE SAVED ME'

He went on, "Thou shall not bear false witness: I do not write falsehoods in order to support my beliefs. I seek to honestly portray opposing views fairly."

"Thou shall not steal: I do not plagiarize — and I seek to give credit where credit is due for the ideas or profound insights of others," he also said. 

"Thou shall not covet: I do not write to inspire victimhood," he said, "grievance or envy in my audience, or to inspire violent or illegitimate means justifying the ends."

Finally, he added, "Do unto others as you want them to do unto you: I refuse to try to screw someone on a deal in the name of ‘that’s business.’"

Bruce Sidebotham, a consulting expert at Telios Teaches in Monument, Colorado, told Fox News Digital, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44). Like that treasure, people want desperately to matter, to be esteemed, to be valued and to have dignity."

FAITH FIRST: COACH JOE KENNEDY TEASES HIS NEXT ACT AFTER HIS SUPREME COURT VICTORY AND RETURN TO FOOTBALL

He added, "That significance, esteem, value and dignity flow from who people perceive that they are — it flows from their self-identity." Sidebotham received a doctorate in ministry from New Geneva Theological Seminary at Colorado Springs in 2004. The Rocky Mountain Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) ordained him as a teaching elder and evangelist in 2004. 

"If I base my self-worth in being smart, then smarter people have more value, and dumber people have less value," he went on.

"If I base my purpose in campaigning for justice, then people campaigning better have better purpose, and people campaigning worse or not at all have less purpose."

DOUBLE RAINBOWS AND THE SPIRITUAL MEANINGS BEHIND THEM: ‘A HUG FROM ABOVE’

And "if I base my self-esteem and dignity in being a certain race or gender or in being a victim," he continued, "then people of a different race or gender or who are oppressors are less esteemed and have less dignity. People esteemed to have less value and lower purpose are at risk of being mistreated leading to racism, sexual harassment, child trafficking and many other social ills."

However, said Sidebotham, "In the kingdom of heaven, significance, esteem, value and dignity flow from conviction that all people of every race, intelligence, occupation, status, age, ability, gender and protected class are made in the image of God — and will one day worship together at the throne of Jesus Christ." 

He added, "When my identity flows from an eternal relationship to the King of the kingdom of heaven, then temporal physical, social and intellectual features become comparatively irrelevant to that identity."

And "minority peoples and majority peoples, oppressors and victims, all genders, all classes, all ages, and all intelligences have equal significance, esteem, value and dignity whether inside or outside the kingdom of heaven," he added, "because all are sacredly created in the image of God."

He concluded, "That is an invaluable treasure."

"When you abide with Jesus you will bear much fruit, and that includes where you live, work, learn and play (John 15:4-5)," said Pastor Jesse Bradley of Auburn, Washington, who runs Grace Community Church outside Seattle, to Fox News Digital.

DAUGHTER OF FDNY HERO KILLED ON 9/11 BELIEVES DAD SPEAKS TO HER WITH HAUNTING 'PENNIES FROM HEAVEN'

He noted that "abiding with Jesus is the primary focus for living out your faith" — and that, today, "there are a wide range of work settings, policies, supervisors and cultures."

As a result, there is a need, he said, to "transcend some of the specifics" and have a roadmap for living in a "vibrant way spiritually" at work. 

Said Bradley, "God places His people" where they need to be.

So "the assignment is not insignificant — it is saturated with purpose. A paycheck is a blessing, but it is not the ultimate goal. You are God's ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). You are the light of the world, so let your light shine (Matthew 5:14-16)."

Bradley — who himself found a faith-forward purpose in life after a health crisis — also said that "being able to work and having a job is a gift from God."

He added, "Finding the right job and fit is a prayerful endeavor. Work is not always going to be easy, but it is part of being faithful to God and brings meaning and potentially great joy, too. Your work is a calling — not just a ‘to-do list’ each day."

And yes, he said, "work environments can be stressful, demanding and at times grueling. Many people turn against each other, and strife can emerge. But when you show a consistent compassion, people appreciate you (Ephesians 4:32)."

STRESS DOES NOT HAVE TO CRUSH YOUR LIFE: WASHINGTON FAITH LEADER SHARES A WAY TO GREATER PEACE

And "when you are a good listener, people feel valued (James 1:19). When you refrain from gossip and slander, you are protecting unity (Proverbs 26:20)."

Said Bradley, "Set the tone, lead by example and bring out the best in the people around you during the week."

He noted, "There's no higher compliment than that people see God's love and truth in you." 

Bradley suggested that expressing one's faith through work "includes keeping your word, completing your tasks and serving with all of your heart. It is significant to work the same way whether you are being watched or working alone."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

He added, "Bring your top effort. Look for opportunities to go the second mile repeatedly. You can finish tasks that are not on your job description, but that the team needs. Integrity, flexibility, and humility go a long way and bless your co-workers and customers."

Ultimately, he said, "thank God for your health, strength, talents and people who serve next to you. God encourages and empowers you daily at work." 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews/lifestyle