Sometimes if you're doing some renovation work on your house or something, you might pull down a wall and find a little gem left behind by workmen from long ago: An old hammer, say, or a newspaper from yesteryear.
Imagine that, but with art from one of the most renowned artists in human history:
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 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.
They discovered the concealed image at the back of its canvas hidden by a sheet of cardboard, according to a press release from the National Galleries of Scotland.
That's right: They took a Van Gogh painting and put it behind...cardboard. Cardboard.
This is apparently how the thought process worked back in the early 20th century:
It was probably around 1905, when "Head of a Peasant Woman" was lent to an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, in Amsterdam, that the decision was made to stick the canvas down on cardboard prior to framing, according to the press release. The NGS added that, at the time, "Head of a Peasant Woman" was likely considered more "finished" than the Van Gogh self-portrait.
Yep. "Oh, this Van Gogh is more finished than that one. Cover it up. Not like anyone will ever be interested in looking at it."
Let's just hope they can get the portrait out without damaging that poor peasant woman's head!
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