Vincent Van Gogh: was a new portrait found behind a painting? Who was the artist and what happened to his ear

A painting that is “most certainly” a previously unknown self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh has been discovered by the National Galleries of Scotland.

The extraordinary find is believed to be a first for a UK institution and was discovered by an x-ray taken of Van Gogh’s Head of a Peasant Woman (1885) ahead of the forthcoming exhibition A Taste for Impressionism at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.

This is everything you need to know about the portrait, and about the painter himself.

Who was Vincent Van Gogh?

Van Gogh was a Dutch painter who became well known for his work after his death, becoming one of the most iconic and influential figures in the history of Western art.

He was born on 30 March 1853 in the Netherlands, the oldest surviving child of father Theodorus Van Gogh and mother Anna Cornelia Carbentus.

Over the course of his life, he was employed in a number of positions, including as a lay preacher, an art dealer and a supply teacher, but his interest in art was something that developed as a child and was something that stayed with him throughout his life.

Throughout his artistic career, Van Gogh created more than 2,000 artworks, including over 800 oil paintings. These pieces include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self portraits, and are characterised by his use of bold colours and dramatic and expressive brushwork.

He struggled with his mental health in his life, suffering from psychotic episodes and delusions. Van Gogh would eventually spend a year in a psychiatric institution.

In a letter to his brother, Theo, Van Gogh once wrote about his fellow patients at the hospital.

He said: “I observe in others that, like me, they too have heard sounds and strange voices during their crises, that things also appeared to change before their eyes. And that softens the horror that I retained at first of the crisis I had... Had I not seen other mad people at close hand I wouldn’t have been able to rid myself of thinking about it all the time.”

During his lifetime, Van Gogh’s paintings did not generally sell and he was mostly considered something of a madman due to his ill mental health. Following his death, his works have gone on to become some of the most expensive paintings ever sold in the world.

What paintings is he known for?

Van Gogh is famous for a number of his paintings, having become one of the most well known artists in history.

Some of his most famous paintings include the likes of Starry Night, Sunflowers, Irises, Poppies, The Bedroom, The Potato Eaters, The Night Cafe, The Red Vineyard, Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette and Almond Blossoms.

He is also known for his self portraits as well, including Van Gogh self-portrait, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat and Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat.

What happened to his ear?

According to the Van Gogh Gallery, the painter cut off his left ear after an argument with Paul Gauguin, a fellow artist whom he had been working with whilst he was in Arles. Van Gogh had moved to Arles in February 1888 with a dream of starting an artists colony.

That year, Gauguin joined Van Gogh, having met him the previous year in 1887.

The two initially got along well for weeks, eating together, drinking together and, of course, painting together. However, things eventually began to change, and Gauguin started to find Van Gogh difficult to live with.

While Arles had proved productive for both artists, their art had begun to move in different directions, with Gauguin steering away from Impressionism.

By December, Gauguin was thinking about leaving the house that the two shared. In a letter to another painter, Gauguin wrote: “I’m staying for now, but I’m poised to leave at any moment.”

On 23 December, Van Gogh asked Gauguin if he was planning to leave and, when he said yes, Van Gogh was devastated. Gauguin later left the house for a walk and claimed that Van Gogh followed him and “rushed towards me, an open razor in his hand”. That night, Gauguin stayed in a hotel.

The details of the rest of the evening leading up to Van Gogh cutting off his ear are hazy, as Van Gogh would later claim that he had no recollection of what had happened.

Based on accounts from Gauguin, the police and from Van Gogh’s brother Theo, Van Gogh took a razor and cut off a portion of his left ear. It’s been disputed how much of his ear was severed - Theo claimed that only the earlobe had been cut off while the policeman and the doctor that treated him at the hospital said that he had severed the entire outer ear.

After he was hospitalised, his diagnosis was that of “acute mania with generalised delirium” and he was subsequently placed in the care of the hospital.

When did he die?

Van Gogh died on 29 July 1890, at the age of 37. It’s believed that he shot himself in the chest with a revolver on 27 July, and that he died 30 hours later.

It’s thought that the shooting occurred in either a wheat field, or perhaps a barn, where Van Gogh might have been painting. He was able to make his way back to the Auberge Ravoux, where he was staying as a lodger, where he was attended to by two doctors - but due to the fact that there wasn’t a surgeon present, the bullet couldn’t be removed.

The following morning, Van Gogh’s brother, Theo, found the painter in good spirits, but in hours his condition began to deteriorate due to an untreated infection in his wound. He passed away in the early hours of 29 July.

According to his brother, Van Gogh’s last words were: “The sadness will last forever.”

He was buried on 30 July in the cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise.

Was a new self portrait discovered?

Hidden from view for over a century, the portrait was found on the back of the canvas of Head of a Peasant Woman, covered by layers of glue and cardboard that are believed to have been applied ahead of an exhibition in the early 20th Century.

Van Gogh was known for reusing canvas to save money by turning it round and working on the opposite side.

The portrait shows a bearded sitter in a brimmed hat with a neckerchief loosely tied at the throat. His left ear, which he famously cut off in 1888, is clearly visible.

It is thought to be from his early work and his first exploration of self-portraits, which he later became known for.

Viewers will be able to see the sketch as an x-ray image through a specially crafted lightbox.

While it may be possible to separate the paintings, the process of removing the glue and cardboard will require delicate conservation work. Research is ongoing as to how that can be done without harming Head of a Peasant Woman.

The discovery has been described as “thrilling” by Professor Frances Fowle, senior curator of French art at the National Galleries of Scotland.

She said: “Moments like this are incredibly rare.

“We have discovered an unknown work by Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most important and popular artists in the world.

“What an incredible gift for Scotland, and one that will forever be in the care of the National Galleries.

We are very excited to share this thrilling discovery in our big summer exhibition A Taste for Impressionism, where the x-ray image of the self-portrait will be on view for all to see.”

Lesley Stevenson, senior paintings conservator at the National Galleries said they are “thrilled to bits” to have discovered the portrait.

“When we saw the x-ray for the first time of course we were hugely excited,” she said.

“This is a significant discovery because it adds to what we already know about Van Gogh’s life.

“There is lots to think about with regards to the next steps, but for us it is another little nugget to get us a little bit closer to an incredible artist.

“Knowing that it’s there in a painting that’s in the National Galleries of Scotland in a collection that belongs to the people of Scotland is incredibly important and significant.

“Hopefully it will encourage people to come along and have a look.”

Art enthusiasts will be able to view the portrait as part of the exhibition which will take place between July 30 and November 13.