SAEDNEWS; New Technologies Reveal What Lies Beneath an Ancient Painting
According to Saed News , an 18th-century oil painting long believed to be the oldest depiction of Stourhead in Wiltshire has revealed unexpected hidden details after infrared imaging was used to examine it. Among the discoveries were a concealed horse-drawn carriage, along with a woman wearing a hat, another man, and even a “carriage dog.”
According to Fardaad (Faradid), museum curator Claire Reed said: “Finding such an extraordinary image beneath the surface of the artwork is both extremely rare and very exciting.”
The discovery came at the beginning of a year-long restoration project, during which infrared reflectography was used to “look beneath layers of varnish, dirt, and various paints” in order to study the painting’s original composition.
The black-and-white imaging revealed a hidden painting beneath the visible one. Reed explained: “At that moment, we realized the painting we see today is different from its original form.” She added that in one corner of the painting, there was a carriage with passengers, horses, and even a small dog, which had later been painted over and concealed.
She noted that even with the naked eye, part of a carriage wheel can still be seen emerging through the upper paint layers, almost encircling a human figure that was added later.
The painting depicts a rural scene with cattle, sheep, and several human figures in the foreground, while in the distance there is a classical white temple and part of a bridge across the water.
Following the discovery of these hidden elements, experts were forced to reassess the dating of the artwork. A spokesperson for the institution stated that clothing evidence suggests the painting likely dates from around 1785 to 1800, later than previously believed.
The findings have also raised new questions about whether the landscape truly represents Stourhead, which was once thought to depict the early development stages of the famous garden.
