Cézanne Portrait discovered behind a Still Life of Bread and Eggs

Digital X-ray mosaic of Cézanne's Still Life With Bread and Eggs, Cincinnati Art Museum. 

The Cincinnati Art Museum has discovered that underneath Cezanne’s Still Life With Bread And Eggs lies a portait, potentially a self-portrait. Serena Urry, the museums chief conservator, sent the painting for an X-ray following a routine inspection. Whilst early craquelure was unsurpirinsg, it’s clustering into two specific areas raised eyebrows. The X-ray as seen below, revealed a fairly well-define portrait, with CNN’s Oscar Holland arguing that the contrasting angle of the head and body identifies it is as a self-portrait. The museum will now be collaborating with a number of scholars to develop their research on the portrait and identify the sitter.

Still Life with Bread and Eggs, Paul Cézanne, 1865, Cincinnati Art Museum.

Read more about the discovery here.

Digital X-ray mosaic of Cézanne’s Still Life With Bread and Eggs, Cincinnati Art Museum.