Restaurabits

Secrets and other curiosities

Imagen visible de la obra de Balthus, “La partida de naipes”, 1948- 1950

The unknown figure

Comparative detail of the visible image and the X-ray of Balthus' painting “The Game of Cards”
Detalle comparativo de la imagen visible y la radiografía de la obra de Balthus "La partida de naipes"

Our suspicion that the male figure concealed significant information and some kind of secret was confirmed when the painting was studied using a combination of scientific techniques. 

Through X-radiography, we discovered some strokes indicating a skirt beneath the boy. The microsample taken to corroborate this finding showed that Balthus had indeed previously worked on a different figure with these characteristics in several layers. Both examinations revealed that the artist had initially painted a figure in a skirt that was very similar to the one in the 1947 sketch. 

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Detail of the X-ray image showing the inscription, hidden by the layers of paint on Carpaccio's painting
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The enigma of the inscription

Carpaccio’s young knight has always proved enigmatic to scholars. One of the most curious findings of our study was the discovery of a concealed inscription on the back of the painting: ‘A. Durer’. 
Microsample taken from the red decoration of the dress of Ghirlandaio's painting "Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni"
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Did you know that each brushstroke hides a secret?

The study of materials of the work investigates the real composition of each layer. The materials analysis was carried out to determine the composition of the original materials used in the painting and how they are distributed in the various layers.

The information obtained from this analysis is useful for understanding the pictorial technique that the artist used.  Each of the micro-samples contains true and reliable evidence of the materials Ghirlandaio used in this work.
Comparative detail of the visible image and infrared reflectography of “Portrait of Giovanna Tournabuoni” by Ghirlandaio
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The hidden necklace

When we examined the infrared image of Ghirlandao’s Portrait of Giovanna degli Albizzi Tornabuoni we discovered that hidden in the neck was a necklace of round beads is not part of the final design.

 
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