Under the Old Man with a beard Rembrandt self-portrait found
 

By Old Man with a beard Rembrandt self-portrait found

With the help of modern scientific equipment have found an unfinished self-portrait by Rembrandt, painted by the artist and painted a different picture on it.

However, in a hidden portrait not seen details of the face, and shows only a silhouette. To find hidden under layers of paint the picture was used by X-ray. Leading expert on Rembrandt's painting is sure of the authenticity, based on similarities in the style of drawing.

Unfinished self-portrait was found under a different picture - "The old man with a beard," which was written by a master's hand. Art historian Ernst van de Vetering, research group works by Rembrandt, says that between self-portrait of Rembrandt, and works relating to the 30s of the XVII century, traces the technical and stylistic similarities.

Self-portrait was discovered when the picture was passed through an X-ray machine at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and at the European Synchrotron Radiation (ESRF) in Grenoble (France).

"It is believed that this portrait belongs to the early works, - said the BBC BBC Koen Janssens from the University of Antwerp (Belgium) .- On it you can understand how Rembrandt worked in the initial stage of creativity." Professor Janssens, who was involved in an X-ray analysis, added: "What a picture he started? What he brought to an end? How many of these that he decided to start anew, without bringing to an end?"

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry technique revealed a variety of chemical elements in the paint, thus opening the latent image.