X-rays reveal 'hidden' Van Gogh painting
A previously unseen portrait by Vincent van Gogh has been revealed using a new X-ray technique.
The image of a peasant woman's face can now be seen for the first time since 1887 when it was painted over with the work 'Patch Of Grass.'
It has been known for some time that van Gogh painted over previous works to save on canvas costs - some experts claim up-to one third of his paintings have 'hidden' images underneath.
But now European experts have developed a new technique based on synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to reveal hidden paintings.
The painting was subjected to the high-tech two-day X-ray which was able to recognise the atoms behind the layer of paint.
The researchers from Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands) and the University of Antwerp (Belgium) were then able to reconstruct the concealed painting in unparalleled detail.
In particular the combination of the distribution of the elements mercury and antimony provided a 'colour photo' of the portrait which had been painted over.
The experts say they hope the reconstruction enables art historians to understand the evolution of Van Gogh's work better.
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