Vincent Van Gogh's bed, which he famously painted as part of his 1888 masterpiece The Bedroom, could still exist according to art historian Martin Bailey.

Bailey explains in the Art Newspaper that the bed definitely survived until after the second world war.

This is one of three paintings Van Gogh produced of his bedroom in Arles

Van Gogh bought the bed for his home in Arles in 1880.

After his death it passed to the widow of his brother, who used it in her guest house in Laren in the Netherlands.

In 1945 Van Gogh's nephew donated it to refugees.

The bed was taken to the town of Boxmeer, near Arnhem, where it would have been given to a family in need.

Bailey writes: "It would have been nearly 60 years old and its new owner may well have replaced it some years later, when life became easier.

"But there remains the intriguing possibility that the bed still survives in Boxmeer - a silent witness to the story of Van Gogh in Arles."

Were it ever to be found and brought to auction, it would likely sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Memorabilia associated with the last months of Van Gogh's life has a particular power.

The gun he is believed to have used to shoot himself in 1890 was on display at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam earlier this year, as part of a show titled On the Verge of Insanity.  

You can take a look at all our art and photography memorabilia here.

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