An expert on 18th century Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh is casting doubt on a theory that he did not commit suicide, but was instead shot to death by two boys.

A new Van Gogh biography by American authors Steven Naifeh and Gregory White, Van Gogh, The Life, is now in bookstores.

Naifeh and White told the CBS news broadcast 60 Minutes that two brothers who enjoyed teasing the lonely painter may have shot Van Gogh on purpose or accidentally. The writers say Van Gogh, who died two days later, concocted the story that he shot himself to protect the boys.

The curator of the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, Leo Jansen, calls that theory interesting. But he said it is premature to think Van Gogh did not kill himself. There is no firm evidence to confirm either story on how Van Gogh died.

The painter was born in 1853 and was tormented by severe depression for much of his life before dying in 1890. He won little attention and sold no paintings during his lifetime, but is now considered to be a genius of impressionism. His works sell for millions of dollars.