A previously unknown Vincent Van Gogh painting has been discovered by the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.
The self-portrait of the beloved Dutch painter is "most certainly" unknown to the art community before now since it has been hidden from view for over a century.
The new unknown painting was found on the back of the canvas of another beloved artwork: "Head of a Peasant Woman" (1885).
The extraordinary find was covered by layers of glue and cardboard that are thought to have been applied before an exhibition in the early 20th Century.
National Galleries of Scotland discover unknown Vincent Van Gogh painting
The discovery is believed to be a first for a UK institution and was recovered after an X-ray of the painting ahead of the Royal Scottish Academy's exhibition: 'A Taste for Impressionism' in Edinburgh.
Senior curator of French art at the National Galleries of Scotland, Professor Frances Fowle has described the find as “thrilling”.
Professor Fowle continued: “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.
“What an incredible gift for Scotland, and one that will forever be in the care of the National Galleries. We are very excited to share this thrilling discovery in our big summer exhibition A Taste for Impressionism, where the x-ray image of the self-portrait will be on view for all to see.”
Van Gogh was well known for reusing canvas as a way of saving money by turning it around and continuing to work on the opposite side.
The self-portrait depicts a bearded man, sitting in a brimmed hat with a neckerchief loosely tied at the throat.
His left ear, which he famously cut off in 1888, is clearly visible.
It is assumed that the hidden painting is from his early work when he first started exploring the idea of self-portraits which he would later become renowned for.
In the upcoming exhibition, onlookers will be able to view the sketch as an x-ray image through a specially crafted lightbox.
In theory, it may be possible to separate the paintings, the process of removing the glue and cardboard will require very delicate conservation work.
Research is ongoing on how that can be done without harming the original painting.
Lesley Stevenson, senior paintings conservator at the National Galleries said they are “thrilled to bits” to have discovered the portrait.
“When we saw the x-ray for the first time of course we were hugely excited,” she said.
“This is a significant discovery because it adds to what we already know about Van Gogh’s life.
“There is lots to think about with regards to the next steps, but for us it is another little nugget to get us a little bit closer to an incredible artist.
“Knowing that it’s there in a painting that’s in the National Galleries of Scotland in a collection that belongs to the people of Scotland is incredibly important and significant.
“Hopefully it will encourage people to come along and have a look.”
You will be able to see the portrait as part of the exhibition which will take place between July 30 and November 13.
