A Hidden Portrait Uncovered

Researchers at Barcelona’s Fundació Joan Miró have made a groundbreaking discovery in a painting by Catalan artist Joan Miró, which has been hidden beneath a portrait of his mother for nearly a century. •

• Miró completed the painting in 1927.
• It was gifted to his friend Joan Prats, who owned the work until his death in 1970.
• The foundation acquired the painting five years later.
• In 1978, the organization conducted the first X-ray of the painting during a preliminary restoration report, revealing a portrait of an unidentified woman.

The portrait, which is believed to have been painted by Cristòfol Montserrat Jorba, was concealed beneath a deep blue layer of paint. Researchers used advanced techniques such as infrared photography and X-ray spectroscopy and fluorescence to uncover the hidden portrait. According to Fundació Joan Miró, Miró was known to have overpainted other works, mostly to criticize what he deemed “imitative painting.” The same year “Painting” was completed, Miró famously declared his intent to “assassinate painting” in a challenge to artistic convention. In the most recent study, Head of Preventive Conservation and Restoration Elisabet Serrat led the team, which included researchers who used the above-mentioned techniques to discern the identity of the mysterious woman.

“The two faces are exactly the same,”

Serrat observed, noting the technical similarity between the subsumed portrait and a similar work by Cristòfol Montserrat Jorba, who painted a portrait of Miró’s mother in 1907.

1. The subsumed woman was identified as Miró’s mother, Dolors Ferrà i Oromí, based on the technical similarity between the two works.
2. Researchers suspect that Miró used zinc white to prepare the second-hand canvas for his new work.
3. They are unsure why Miró decided to smother the portrait of his mother for this particular painting, but the foundation suggested it could have been out of convenience.
4. The findings are the subject of the institution’s exhibition Under the Layers of Miró: A Scientific Investigation, which will run through June 29.

The discovery comes almost 50 years after the foundation first detected the likeness of a mysterious woman behind the deep blue paint. Highlights:
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Definition:

Definition:

The discovery of the hidden portrait has sparked a new wave of interest in Miró’s work, with many fans and art enthusiasts eager to see the exhibition Under the Layers of Miró: A Scientific Investigation. Why did Miró decide to smother the portrait of his mother for this particular painting?

“It is an act of rebellion,”

said Marko Daniel, executive director of Fundació Joan Miró. But what kind of rebellion was it?
According to Daniel, Miró was not rebelling against his parents, but rather against the middle-class aspirations to be ever so slightly posher than you really are. What does this say about Miró’s artistic intentions?
The discovery of the hidden portrait has raised many questions about Miró’s artistic intentions and the significance of his work.
Is this a case of artistic genius or a clever ruse?
The discovery of the hidden portrait is a testament to the complexity and depth of Miró’s art, and it has sparked a new wave of interest in his work. What does the future hold for this exhibition?
The exhibition Under the Layers of Miró: A Scientific Investigation will run through June 29, and it promises to be a fascinating look at Miró’s artistic intentions and the secrets behind his work.

Conclusion:
The discovery of the hidden portrait is a remarkable example of the complexities and secrets that lie beneath the surface of art. It is a testament to the power of art to surprise and intrigue us, and it has sparked a new wave of interest in Miró’s work. The exhibition Under the Layers of Miró: A Scientific Investigation promises to be a fascinating look at Miró’s artistic intentions and the secrets behind his work.