Restorators at the Scottish National Gallery have recently experienced considerable surprises after taking X-rays of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings. Hidden behind the picture. “Peasant woman’s head (Opens in a new tab)Completed by Van Gogh in 1885, “was a previously unknown self-portrait of Dutch painters staring at them.
The hidden self-portrait was hidden by a layer of glue and paperboard that was attached to the back of the canvas. Museum officials suspect that the material was applied at some point in the early 20th century to protect the artwork for the upcoming exhibition. statement (Opens in a new tab)..
“It was absolutely thrilling,” said Leslie Stephenson, a senior painting restorer at the museum. Parents (Opens in a new tab) About the discovery. “We didn’t expect much [of the] She said when she performed the scan. But museum experts quickly corrected their expectations when they saw it. X-ray.. “We don’t see many peasant women, but we have white lead, a much heavier pigment. [Van Gogh] Used on his face, it appeared after X-rays passed through the paperboard. “
Related: Hidden artwork found under Picasso’s “Picasso’s Blue Period” masterpiece
Van Gogh painted “The Head of a Peasant Woman” as part of a series of works focusing on the working-class inhabitants of Nuenen, a small agricultural community in the south of the Netherlands who lived for a short time in the 1880s. The woman in the picture is a farm worker, Gordina de Groot. She wears a flowing white helmet, and her face is partially hidden by shadows.
and letter (Opens in a new tab) In 1885 Van Gogh wrote about the series to his friend and fellow artist Anton Kelsemakers, who explained his fascination with the subject of the working class. “I’ve been working with omnipotent joy lately, most of all because I want to draw figures,” he writes. “The heads of these women here are wearing white hats-it’s difficult-but it’s so beautiful forever. It’s just the chiaroscuro-the part of the white and shadow face.
Van Gogh also liked to make self-portraits, and while living in Paris he made about 20 paintings towards the end of his life. Washington post (Opens in a new tab) report. According to The Washington Post, recreating his own image was a frugal way to practice portraiture without spending money to hire his model.
Art historians at the National Museum hope that the hidden self-portrait will provide insight into the troubled life of Van Gogh, who died in a revolver at the age of 37. The museum is currently investigating the best way to get rid of unwanted layers of protective material without damaging the painting.
Self-portrait paintings and images will be on display later this summer as part of the museum’s future. Impressionist taste (Opens in a new tab) An exhibition to be held from July 30th to November 13th.
Originally published on Live Science.
