Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

X-Ray Of 400-Year-Old Artwork Reveals 16th Century Nativity Scene Painting Hidden Behind It

X-Ray Of 400-Year-Old Artwork Reveals 16th Century Nativity Scene Painting Hidden Behind It
Nicky Grimaldi, senior lecturer in Conservation of Fine Art at Northumbria University with The Bowes Museum panel painting (Northumbria University/PA)

Experts have discovered a 16th century painting of a nativity scene hidden beneath a 400-year-old work of art.


Conservators working with The Bowes Museum in County Durham made the find while examining a historic painting depicting the beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

X-ray analysis by Northumbria University experts revealed another image underneath, with a baby in a manger, angels with halos and the outline of what appears to be stables.

An X-ray comparison between marked and unmarked versions of the hidden 16th century painting (Northumbria University/PA)

Nicky Grimaldi, senior lecturer in Conservation of Fine Art at the university, said: “It was such a lovely surprise to see the nativity scene revealed underneath the painting we see today.

“It really is quite unusual to find paintings hidden in this way and to discover a nativity scene in this detail and just before Christmas was really incredible."

The painting was collected for the museum by its founders John and Josephine Bowes in the 19th century.

An X-ray image of the painting marked with the figure of baby Jesus (Northumbria University/PA)

It is in a Late Medieval style and probably formed part of a larger altar piece, and the wooden panel on which the canvas is spread now needs careful restoration.

Ms. Grimaldi and forensic scientist Dr. Michelle Carlin will examine it further to determine its age, background and history.

The senior lecturer said the initial aim had been to find out what was causing the damage.

An X-ray image of the painting marked with the figure of a King or wise man offering a gift (Northumbria University/PA)

“The first stage of most investigations of this kind is to carry out an X-ray to understand what is going on underneath the layer of paint we see on the surface," she said.

“That was when we realized there was more to the painting than we originally thought."

The X-ray showed up several figures, including the outline of what appears to be one of the three wise men, or Magi – his hands outstretched as if holding out a gift.

More from Trending

Vivian Wilson
@vivllainous/Instagram

Elon Musk's Trans Daughter Just Made Her Drag Debut At An Anti-ICE Fundraiser—And Fans Are Obsessed

Elon Musk's disowned trans daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson has made a name for herself online for mercilessly dragging the father who once said she was "dead" to him because she was "killed by the woke mind virus."

But recently she took it to a new level, leveraging her fame in her first drag performance at a Los Angeles anti-ICE fundraiser.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Administration Fast-Tracks Eliminating National Suicide Hotline's LGBTQ+ Youth Support

On Wednesday morning, news broke that the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump was eliminating certain suicide and self harm resources provided through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

The lifeline offered callers options to speak to people who specialize in meeting their needs. But the Trump administration decided this was a service that LGBTQ+ young people don't deserve.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less