In this artwork, how is the Hidden painting discussed?
X-radiography has revealed an earlier painting of a young boy beneath the surface of the existing painting. The hidden painting depicts a young boy with a pleated white collar, short cropped hair, who may be wearing a skull cap. Researchers have considered the earlier painting to be an image of a saltimbanque, or travelling circus performer, dressed in a costume that is similar to a Pierrot. Experts believe that Picasso was portraying an urchin, rather than a fictional character, due to his appearance. Travelling circus groups were a popular form of entertainment during this period and a subject matter with which Picasso was familiar. The finished painting of the girl wearing a chemise is so thinly painted on top of the original image of the young boy, that it gives an androgynous aspect to the portrait. The date when Picasso changed the subject of the painting from a boy to a girl remains unknown. The Tate has particularly remarked on the "masterful way in which Picasso has transformed the male subject into a female portrait with a minimum of paint". The x-radiograph also revealed other hidden lines and shapes beneath the surface of the existing painting, which suggest that Picasso had reused the canvas after removing a previous work prior to painting the boy.
Tate Pierrot chemise