Published: 00:00, 14 July 2022 | Updated: 00:26, 14 July 2022
It is a painting admired by art lovers around the world. Now it has been discovered that Vincent van Gogh’s Head Of A Peasant Woman is even more special than first thought – it has a self-portrait of the artist on the other side of the canvas. The 1885 image kept its secret for 137 years before an X-ray ahead of a new exhibition in Edinburgh found the portrait of the tragic Dutch painter who took his own life in 1890 aged 37. It was painted by the artist, whose famous works include Sunflowers, before he cut off his left ear after a row in 1888. Van Gogh reused canvases to save money. Professor Frances Fowle, from the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “We are very excited to share this exciting discovery.” Secret treasure: Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait discovered on the back of Head Of A Peasant Woman (pictured, original painting) National Galleries of Scotland showing X-ray image of Vincent Van Gogh Self-Portrait with Felt Hat, 1888, by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), an oil on canvas The newly revealed work shows a bearded man in a peaked hat wearing a scarf. It is similar to his Self-Portrait with a Gray Felt Hat, completed in 1888. Experts believe the sketch is from his early work when he first began exploring self-portraits. There is a possibility that the two panels could be separated, but this would require delicate maintenance work. Visitors will be able to see the newly discovered X-ray image of the sketch using a specially-built lightbox at the exhibition, A Taste for Impressionism, at the Scottish Academy in Edinburgh at the end of the month. Senior conservator Lesley Stevenson views the head of a peasant woman alongside an X-ray image of Van Gogh’s hidden self-portrait Straw Hat Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh (left) and Senior Curator Frances Fowle (right) with the head of a peasant woman on an easel National Galleries of Scotland showing the back of the painting Head of a Peasant Woman Professor Frances Fowle added: “Moments like this are incredibly rare. We discovered an unknown work by Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most important and popular artists in the world. What an incredible gift to Scotland and one that will forever be in the care of the National Galleries.” Lesley Stevenson, senior painting conservator at the National Gallery, said: “When we saw the X-ray for the first time, of course we were very excited. “This is an important discovery because it adds to what we already know about Van Gogh’s life. There’s a lot to think about next steps, but for us it’s another little nugget to get a little closer to an incredible artist. “To know that it exists in a painting that is in the National Galleries of Scotland in a collection that belongs to the people of Scotland is incredibly important.” The exhibition will run from July 30 to November 13.
