Van Gogh

National Galleries of Scotland conservators discovered the painting in an X-ray scan of another Van Gogh painting, "Head of a Peasant Woman."

“This is a routine type of investigation that conservators have been using for quite some time,” Stevenson said in an interview released by the National Galleries to promote the exhibition — and the possible new Van Gogh self-portrait. “Hopefully, it will encourage people to come and have a look.” “At this date the Peasant Woman was evidently considered more ‘finished’ than the Van Gogh self-portrait,” it added. It had been hiding in plain sight, inside a painting that had belonged to the National Galleries of Scotland for over 60 years. Van Gogh was known to reuse canvasses because of lack of money, and Scottish conservators believe that was the case here. It was an image from an X-ray. Not of broken bones — but of a previously unknown self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh.

The discovery of the hidden Van Gogh was made when experts at the National Galleries of Scotland X-rayed the work.

The sketches were found using X-ray technology while studying the painting ahead of an October exhibition at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Roughly 15 years after his death, the painting was loaned to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam for an exhibition, which experts believe is when the cardboard backing was added to the canvas and framed. The self-portrait on the back, however, is thought to have been painted after he moved to Paris in 1886.

A hidden self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh has been discovered behind one of his paintings, covered by layers of glue and cardboard for more than a century.

The NGS added that, at the time, "Head of a Peasant Woman" was likely considered more "finished" than the Van Gogh self-portrait. He fixes the viewer with an intense stare, the right side of his face in shadow and his left ear clearly visible," according to the release. The image was found when art conservators took an X-ray of Van Gogh's 1885 "Head of a Peasant Woman" painting ahead of a forthcoming exhibition.

A previously unknown self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh has been discovered behind another of the artist's paintings. The National Galleries of Scotland said ...

The work is believed to have been hidden for over a century, covered by layers of glue and cardboard when it was framed in the early 20th century. Experts said the subject was instantly recognizable as the artist himself, and is thought to be from his early work. “Moments like this are incredibly rare,” she said.

A previously unknown self-portrait of celebrated Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh has been discovered hiding in plain sight on the back of another painting, ...

Uncovering the hidden painting will help “shed new light” on the artist, NGS added, noting that it was likely made during a formative part of his career. Another major art discovery was announced on Wednesday after three previously unknown sketches by 20th Century artist Amedeo Modigliani were found by curators at an Israeli museum. Infrared imaging, for example, has unveiled other work hiding underneath paintings like the Mona Lisa and Botticelli's “ Man of Sorrows.”

Vincent van Gogh painted three dozen self-portraits in just 10 years. That's really a lot (there are about the same number of extant paintings by Johannes ...

(Presumably van Gogh asked about her cousin because he was the one most likely to give the baby the protection of his name.) Sadly, for much of the time, serenity eluded van Gogh. But I think he experienced it — in addition to a lot of excitement — while painting. Bailey also reports that “it has long been suspected that there could be something on the hidden side of ‘Head of a Peasant Woman,’ ” implying that this latest discovery may not be quite as surprising as advertised. It’s interesting that in this case, he didn’t paint over the head of Gordina, instead preserving her image and simply painting himself on the reverse side. Van Gogh actually painted about 20 self-portraits during his time in Paris, and still more after his move to Arles. It was expensive hiring models; his own face was free and he could try out things on himself without having to justify it. He had painted “Head of a Peasant Woman” in Nuenen, the Dutch town where his parents recently moved, in 1885. That’s because it was linked to “ The Potato Eaters,” the painting van Gogh considered his most important achievement to date. If he wasn’t exactly using self-portraits to shore up his confidence, he was definitely expressing curiosity about the strange (and so far unsuccessful) new life he had chosen. She sat for several paintings by van Gogh. When she later fell pregnant, van Gogh was accused by the village sexton of being responsible. What exactly made him cut off part of his ear and give it to a prostitute in Arles, in the south of France? (Fleming’s son — by her husband — was Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond.) Or we might, if conservators at the National Galleries of Scotland manage to get it out from under a layer of glue and cardboard.

Conservators at the National Galleries of Scotland discovered the self-portrait during an X-Ray of Van Gogh's "Head of a Peasant Woman."

According to the National Galleries of Scotland press release, Van Gogh frequently reused canvases to save money. For now, it’s encased under cardboard and glue, which will make revealing it a difficult procedure without damaging the self-portrait or Head of a Peasant Woman. There, visitors will be able to see the painting through a specially-crafted lightbox. “At this date the Peasant Woman was evidently considered more ‘finished’ than the Van Gogh self-portrait.” To their delight, they uncovered a forgotten Van Gogh self-portrait on the opposite side. “It was absolutely thrilling,” she said, according to the Guardian. “Lo and behold!