Hidden Picasso Found Under “The Blue Room”

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The Blue Room
“The Blue Room,” one of the earliest masterpieces by Pablo Picasso (PeekYou profile here), has been discovered, via infrared imagery, to be concealing a portrait underneath its oils.

The scientists and art aficionados behind the discovery have revealed that beneath the classic painting (also known as “The Tub”) can be found a portrait of a man donning a bow-tie and with his face resting upon his hand.

This, of course, leaves a new puzzle to unravel surrounding the 1901 painting — created in Paris during Picasso’s legendarily melancholic “blue period” — and that would be who exactly is the man? Alas, the answer to this question likely reaches beyond the capabilities of even the most advanced infrared technology.

It’s long been speculated that the piece was painted over some manner of picture. Odd brushstrokes were observed as early as 1954. In the 90s, however, an X-ray revealed more conclusively some sort of fuzzy image beneath the painting; but it was still not known to be a portrait.

In 2008, infrared imaging had grown sophisticated enough to finally reveal the portrait of a bearded man in bow-tie. Patricia Favero, the Phillips Collection conservator responsible for the clearest infrared image of the portrait to date, and the one which has the story buzzing today, said; ‘‘It’s really one of those moments that really makes what you do special.”

The Blue Room - Hidden Portrait
A self-portrait has been ruled out.

To learn more about the detective work that led to this discovery, and the further investigation into this mysterious, hidden portrait, the BBC reports of it all here. And to learn more about Pablo Picasso, very possibly the most famous painter of the 20th century, head to his PeekYou profile; from where you’ll be led to a treasure trove of media, scattered across the ether, relating to the life and work of this iconic genius.