Bedroom in Arles

By now you will have heard the news: experts at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam authenticated a new version of "Bedroom in Arles" with the help of Vincent Van Gogh's letters, chemical analysis of the pigments, and X-rays of the canvas.

This is the fourth known version of "Bedroom in Arles"; the most notable difference with respect to the first three versions is the presence of a burrowing dachshund ensconced on a most excellent doggy couch.

As soon as I saw the painting in the newspaper, I went straight to my family trunk, and I was amazed to find this picture of my great-great-great-great-...-great-grandmother Zelda next to her doggy diary.

Now, guess what? According to her doggy diary, Zelda lived in Arles in 1889, the year when this version of "Bedroom in Arles" was painted! What an amazing coincidence, I thought, just before I woke up from a nap on my own most excellent doggy couch.

Luckily, I was able to get Dachshund Daddy to recreate Zelda's portrait just like it looked in my dream. It is now featured on my new Time to Burrow card as well as my Burrower's Choice US stamps, all of which are available from Tootsie's Shoppe.

As Van Gogh famously said, “If you don’t have a dog--at least one--there is not necessarily anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life.”