An "incredibly rare" discovery.
It is the one made during an X-ray analysis of Vincent Van Gogh's painting "Portrait of a Peasant" , in view of an exhibition dedicated to Impressionism that will be set up in the coming weeks in the English city of Edinburgh .
On the back of the work, dating back to 1885, a self-portrait of the famous painter , hitherto unknown, has been identified. It was covered in layers of glue and cardboard apparently added prior to an early 20th century display.
"When we first saw it, we were obviously thrilled ," says the curator of the museum that will host the exhibition, Lesley Stevenson .
"Such moments are incredibly rare," added Frances Fowle, curator of the National Galleries of Scotland . "We discovered an unknown work by Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most important and popular artists in the world".
The newly discovered self-portrait shows a bearded man sitting in a hat and a scarf around his neck. The left ear, cut by the painter in 1888, is still clearly visible.
At the exhibition, which will be held from July 30 to November 13, visitors will be able to see the work, reproduced by X-rays. The museum is now considering how to remove the glue and separate the two works without damaging them .
As for the presence of the self-portrait on the back of the work, it is due to Van Gogh's habit of not wasting paper , canvases, sheets and other material to save money.
(Unioneonline / lf)
