By: Max Cao
A self portrait of Vincent Van Gogh was found on the back side of a painting called the “Head of a Peasant Woman” while museum was preparing it for an exhibition. “Hidden from view for over a century, the self-portrait is on the back of the canvas with Head of a Peasant Woman and is covered by layers of glue and cardboard,” the museum said in a statement.
Van Gogh was a Dutch painter with a relatively short carreer. Unlike other artists who spend 30 or 40 years perfecting their craft, Van Gogh only painted for f10 years. In the first four years of this time, he restricted himself to almost only using watercolors before expanding his career to the stunning oil paintings we all know. While dismissed in his own time, his art became extremely popular after his death, especially in the 20th century. He is now considered one of the most famous artists in history.
When Vincent Van Gogh was on a tight budget, he painted on both sides of a canvas to save money. As years passed, many of his reverse side paintings were covered up and lost. Now, one of his hidden artifacts has been discovered – this time at the National Galleries of Scotland.
The rare painting was found using an X-ray, and when the museum saw the image, boy, were they surprised!
The newly discovered X-ray image is described as a bearded man with a brimmed hat and a neckerchief tied loosely at the throat. The right side of his face is seen unclearly, as well as all of his facial appearances. His left eye, which can just barely be made out. His left ear is broadly visible. The unclear X-ray may not give many details, although it is all we got, and will be showed at an upcoming exhibit.
The Vincent Van Gogh portrait is a major discovery for the world and may mark an important point in art history.
Links:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658072786561x759462715101882000/Van Gogh hidden self-portrait has been discovered in Scotland using X-ray _ NPR.pdf