Staff at the National Gallery of Scotland made a surprising discovery of a portrait of the renowned artist Vincent van Gogh hidden behind one of his own paintings created over 100 years ago.
Lesley Stevenson, a curator at the National Gallery of Scotland, reported that while X-raying paintings, they found the portrait of Van Gogh concealed behind the artwork “Head of a Peasant Woman,” which is also a piece by the Dutch master, as reported by the Guardian on July 14.
“This is truly extraordinary,” she stated, adding that the portrait had been hidden for over 100 years behind layers of glue and cardboard of the original painting.
Lesley Stevenson discovered the portrait of Van Gogh after X-raying the painting “Head of a Peasant Woman.” (Photo: Guardian).
The X-ray examination was part of the process of cataloging paintings and preparing for a summer exhibition on the French Impressionist movement at the Royal Scottish Academy. Although Van Gogh was Dutch, he spent most of his painting career in France.
The portrait of Van Gogh hidden behind his own painting. (Photo: Guardian).
Subsequent studies indicated that this painting is one of a series of portraits displayed at the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, with five similar paintings. These portraits were painted by Van Gogh on the back of earlier oil paintings he created during his time in Nuenen, a town in southern Netherlands, from 1883 to 1885.
Frances Fowle, a curator of French art, mentioned that this discovery provides significant insights into Van Gogh’s artistic career, particularly noting that it was during his first visit to Paris in 1886 that he encountered an Impressionist painting for the first time. Van Gogh later produced many famous works in this style.
Now, the conservation staff at the National Gallery of Scotland will attempt to separate the portrait while preserving the original painting, a process believed to be quite challenging. “It’s like stepping into a place you’ve never known,” Stevenson remarked.
