Museum ‘very likely’ discovers van Gogh self-portrait
It’s a sensation: the Scottish National Gallery reports that it has most likely found a previously unknown self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. A coincidence was the beginning of the discovery.
EAn unknown self-portrait, presumably by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), was discovered by chance in a Scottish museum. It is “very likely” to be a drawing by the famous artist, said the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh on Thursday.
The image, which shows a bearded man wearing a scarf and hat, was discovered when van Gogh’s Head of a Peasant Woman in a White Cap (1885) was being X-rayed in preparation for an exhibition.
The self-portrait is on the back of the canvas. It is covered with several layers of glue and cardboard, which were probably installed at the beginning of the 20th century for an exhibition. It is known that van Gogh used the reverse side of paintings to save money.
The left ear, which the painter cut off in 1888, is clearly visible. The drawing must therefore have been created beforehand. It is probably an early work and one of the first attempts at self-painting.
The gallery wants to give visitors a glimpse of the sketch using a custom-made light box. Curator Frances Fowle was enthusiastic. “Moments like that are incredibly rare,” she said. “We have discovered an unknown work by Vincent van Gogh, one of the most important and well-known artists in the world.” This is an unimaginable gift for Scotland.
Experts do not rule out that the works can be separated. However, removing the glue and cardboard presents a challenge so as not to damage the painting on the other side.