In-depth studies. The underlying layer
Observing the painting superficially under different light sources we came up with a number of visual keys (textures, morphology of the crackles, etc.) that pointed to a reused canvas. The roughness of the pictorial surface and the microscopic discovery of colourful particles on the edges of the cracks were sufficient evidence to endorse an in-depth examination of the work in order to try and isolate the different layers. An X-ray was made of the inner layers that established the existence of an underlying picture. Rotating the canvas 90 degrees, the film revealed a developed composition depicting a nude couple (cat. 1, p. 36). The sharp definition of the image shows that some of the pictorial materials, such as the white lead or the vermilion, were highly radio-opaque, and subsequent analyses confirmed the use of these pigments, as we shall see later.
Infrared reflectography revealed specific stages in the execution of the work that enabled us to define the initial lines of the drawing more precisely, and to detect slight alterations suffered by the composition (cat. 2, p. 37).
In order to complete the study of the non-visible layers of paint, other analytical techniques were employed through a stratigraphic examination that gave us access to the painting’s different layers (preparation, coats of paint). The succession of strata, their colour and morphology were studied, and the various components of the picture underwent different complementary analyses for the identification of materials.
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Summary