Scientists uncover hidden details in Picasso’s painting

Washington, Feb 18: An intertiol team of scientists has used multiple modes of light to uncover details hidden beneath the visible surface of Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece “La Misereuse accroupie” or “The Crouching Woman.” Researchers released their findings on Saturday’s press conference at the ongoing four-day annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science held in Austin, Texas, Xinhua reported. The 1902 oil painting, owned by Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Cada, depicts a crouching and cloaked woman, painted in white, blues, grays and greens. Researchers used non-invasive portable imaging techniques, including infrared reflectance hyperspectral imaging and then an X-ray fluorescence imaging instrument to detail those buried images. It shows that Picasso painted over another painter’s work after rotating it 90 degrees to the right, using some of the landscape forms in his own fil composition. For example, Picasso incorporated the lines of the cliff edges into the woman’s back. Picasso also made a major compositiol change, the study showed. The artist initially painted the woman with a right arm and hand holding a disk but then covered them with her cloak in the fil work. Marc Walton, a research professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University said, “Picasso had no qualms about changing things during the painting process.” The imaging techniques allowed art collectors to better understand Picasso’s style, influences and process. (IANS)