Hidden Vincent van Gogh self-portrait discovered on back of famous painting

Hidden Vincent van Gogh self-portrait discovered on back of famous painting
Credit: Neil Hanna Photography

An x-ray image has revealed a previously hidden self-portrait of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh on the back of the canvas of one of his famous paintings.

The National Galleries of Scotland, which discovered the portrait on the back of the Head of a Peasant Woman painting dating back to 1885, called it a "sensational find as it is almost certainly a previously unknown self-portrait by van Gogh."

“Moments like this are incredibly rare. We have discovered an unknown work by Vincent van Gogh, one of the most important and popular artists in the world," Professor Frances Fowle, Senior Curator of French Art at the National Galleries of Scotland, said in a statement.

In the self-portrait, a bearded person (van Gogh) is sitting, wearing a brimmed hat with a neckerchief loosely tied at the throat, and fixing the viewer with an intense stare. The right side of his face is in shadow while his left ear, which he cut off when tempers flared with Paul Gauguin, the artist with whom he had been working for a while in Arles, is clearly visible.

Delicate removal needed

The self-portrait was reportedly hidden from view for over a century, as it was drawn on the back of another painting, but also covered by layers of glue and cardboard. Van Gogh often re-used canvases to save money, but rather than painting over earlier works, he would turn the canvas around and work on the reverse.

It is unclear what the state of the hidden self-portrait is, however, research is now ongoing regarding how or whether the portrait can be removed without damaging the Head of a Peasant Woman.

The back of the painting, where the portrait is hidden under cardboard and glue. Credit: Neil Hanna Photography

"Until then, the world can enjoy the tantalising discovery through a ghostly and utterly compelling x-ray image," the museum wrote in a statement.

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According to museum experts, the hidden painting is likely to have been made during a key moment in Van Gogh’s career when he was exposed to the work of the French impressionists after moving to Paris, which had a profound effect on his work, especially the increased use of colours.

An x-ray image of the self-portrait will be included in the big exhibition "A Taste for Impressionism," in Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, which will run from 30 July until 13 November at the Royal Scottish Academy. A specially crafted lightbox will be set up at the centre of the display.


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