Vincent Van Gogh: Hidden Self-Portrait Discovered by X-Rays
Vincent Van Gogh: Hidden Self-Portrait Discovered by X-Rays
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A previously unknown self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh was discovered hidden on the back of another painting.
Experts from the National Galleries of Scotland made the discovery when the canvas was x-rayed before an exhibition.
The hidden self-portrait was covered layers of glue and cardboard on the back of an earlier work titled Head of a Peasant Woman.
The gallery's chief curator, Lesley Stevenson, has said she was "shocked" to find the artist "watching us".
She said: "When we saw the rad iography for the first time, we were of course extremely excited.< /p>< p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00">"This is an important discovery as it adds to what we already know about the life of Van Gogh."
The Dutch artist often reused canvases to save money, turning them over and then working on the other side.
Image source, National Galleries of Scotland
His work did not sell during his lifetime and his fame did not come until after his death in 1890, at the age of 37.
Van Gogh became one of the most famous and most influential in the history of Western art.
Head of a Peasant Woman entered the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland (NGS) in 1960, as part of a gift from a prominent Edinburgh barrister.
To play this video you need JavaScript enabled in your browser. < /figure>
A previously unknown self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh was discovered hidden on the back of another painting.
Experts from the National Galleries of Scotland made the discovery when the canvas was x-rayed before an exhibition.
The hidden self-portrait was covered layers of glue and cardboard on the back of an earlier work titled Head of a Peasant Woman.
The gallery's chief curator, Lesley Stevenson, has said she was "shocked" to find the artist "watching us".
She said: "When we saw the rad iography for the first time, we were of course extremely excited.< /p>< p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00">"This is an important discovery as it adds to what we already know about the life of Van Gogh."
The Dutch artist often reused canvases to save money, turning them over and then working on the other side.
Image source, National Galleries of Scotland
His work did not sell during his lifetime and his fame did not come until after his death in 1890, at the age of 37.
Van Gogh became one of the most famous and most influential in the history of Western art.
Head of a Peasant Woman entered the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland (NGS) in 1960, as part of a gift from a prominent Edinburgh barrister.
Image source, National Galleries of Scotland
