Sun, 03 May 2026 10:24:51 +0000

You Won’t Believe What Lies Beneath the Brushstrokes of This Famous Masterpiece When first glance, a world-renowned masterpiece may appear as a golden surface bathed in color and light — but hidden beneath lies a deeper story, technical brilliance, and centuries of mystery waiting to be uncovered. Take, for example, The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh — an iconic work beloved for its swirling skies and vivid moonlit village — but what surprises await just beneath the visible brushstrokes? ### The Layers Beneath the Masterpiece Modern art conservation techniques such as infrared reflectography and X-ray imaging have opened surprising windows into the process of this legendary painting. Beneath Van Gogh’s characteristic thick impasto layers, scientists discovered hidden sketches and earlier compositional drafts, revealing his meticulous planning behind the dreamlike view. These beneath-layer studies highlight his evolution from a more structured vision to the fluid, expressive style viewers recognize today.