A modern-day Vincent van Gogh? The 30 self-portraits no one wants to buy – leader comment

Among a number of unusual donations to charity shops were 30 self-portraits that no one wanted to buy.

Vincent Van Gogh's "Self-Portrait" hangs on the wall at the Neue Galerie in New York (Picture: Jeff Christensen/AP)

Giving to charity shops is regarded by many as a sign of a good person. And it is an act that has been given added kudos by the drive to recycle and re-use things we no longer want.

However, it turns out that some donations are really rather odd. The less said about a blood-stained wedding dress, soiled bed linen or a sealed box with something allegedly “cursed” inside, the better.

But 30 self-portraits of the same man? This feels like it could be an astonishing work of performance art in which the donation is a central part of what the artist is trying to say. Apparently the donor repeatedly visited the charity shop in question to see if the pictures had been sold. They had not.

Is this art that explores the ultimate shallowness of commercial success, the lack of true ‘value’ to be found in money, and the pain of rejection by a public unable to recognise great works of art unless they come with an inflated price tag?

Not having seen the pictures, we’ve no idea. But could this mystery artist be a modern-day van Gogh, fated to die penniless and misunderstood? Better rush out to a charity shop near you – a masterpiece may await.