Vincent Van Gogh: Self-portrait discovered in Scotland

An X-ray image showing the hidden Vincent Van Gogh painting

A self-portrait by artist Vincent Van Gogh has been discovered.

The hidden piece of art was found on the back of another painting, when the piece was being X-rayed before being displayed.

Experts at the National Galleries of Scotland found the self-portrait covered by layers of glue and cardboard, behind the earlier work of Van Gogh called Head of a Peasant Woman.

Experts at the gallery hope they can recover the hidden self-portrait, but it will have to be done carefully to remove the glue and cardboard without damaging the original painting on the front.

Lesley Stevenson, Senior Conservator at the gallery, looks at Head of a Peasant Woman along with an X-ray image of the hidden Van Gogh self-portrait

Lesley Stevenson, from the gallery, said she felt "shock" to find the artist Van Gogh "looking at us".

"This is a significant discovery because it adds to what we already know about Van Gogh's life."

Dutch Vincent Van Gogh re-used canvases a lot to save money, so he turned them over and worked on the other side.

Head of a Peasant woman, the piece of work on the front of the canvas, shows a local woman from the town of Nuenen, Netherlands, where the artist lives from December 1883 to November 1885.

It was entered to the National Gallery of Scotland in 1960.

Experts think that Van Gogh painted his self portrait on the other side, during a key time in his career - when he moved to Paris and learnt about the work of the French impressionists.

Self Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh

Visitors to the gallery in Edinburgh will be able to see the image for the first time.

A specially-crafted lightbox allows the public to see the X-ray image, which shows the bearded man in a brimmed hat with a neckerchief tied at the throat.

Prof Frances Fowle, senior curator of French Art at the National Galleries of Scotland, described the discovery as "an incredible gift for Scotland".

She said: "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."