An infrared image of the portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto, revealing another portrait below.
The Courtauld / The Courtauld Institute of Art Institute
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The Courtauld / The Courtauld Institute of Art Institute
One of the first pieces of Pablo Picasso’s emblematic blue period revealed an unexpected discovery: another figure below the surface. This observation gives an overview of the painter’s work process during this pivotal period of his life.
Three things to know:
- The painting of 1901 entitled “Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto” portrayed the sculptor named eponymous, a friend of the young Picasso. At just 19 years old, Picasso had recently arrived in Paris for his first exhibition in the city.
- According to at the courtyard gallery in London, which houses painting, advanced radiography and infrared imaging technology revealed a portrait of a woman under the image of Soto. Experts believe that this underlying portrait was created a few months before the last room.
- There are several theories for the presence of this unidentified woman hidden under the surface for more than a century. One possibility is Picasso’s financial need to reuse the canvases during this period. In addition, he was known to superimpose his works instead of whitening a canvas to start again.
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So who is this girl?
As for the identity of this woman, additional research could possibly shed light on which it is. The museum’s conservatives currently have no final response, but they speculate that it could have been a model, a friend or perhaps even a lover who posed for Picasso.
His posture and style resemble those found in several other works representing seated women that Picasso created the same year. Researchers theorize that there could even be more layers hidden under his image.