A rusted Belgian-manufactured Lefaucheux revolver that had purportedly been last used by 37-year-old Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, who shot himself in the stomach on July 29, 1890. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In 1965, the same year that Andy Warhol was producing endless iterations of his photographic silkscreen series such as his Campbell's soup cans, a French farmer walked across a field in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris, and discovered a rusted Belgian-manufactured Lefaucheux revolver. Of note was that it had purportedly been last used by 37-year-old post-impressionist and highly tormented Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, who shot himself in the stomach on July 29, 1890.

Described as "the most famous weapon in art history", the gun is expected to sell well beyond its $45,000–$56,000 estimate when it goes to auction on June 19, courtesy of AuctionArt Rémy Le Fur & Associés at Drouot in Paris. The 7mm revolver, reportedly kept by the family that owned the Auberge Ravoux inn where the artist stayed in the final months of his life, is now being sold by the descendants of the original owners.

The appetite for Van Gogh has never been greater than now. This year alone, the artist is the subject of an exhibition at Tate Britain until August; FTLife Tower in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay is also showing a multisensory exhibition of the artist's work and there are another nine shows happening around the world.