A previously unknown painting by Pablo Picasso has emerged from the shadows of history, hidden for over a century beneath one of the artist’s earliest Blue Period masterpieces.
Using cutting-edge imaging technology, conservators at The Courtauld Institute of Art in London have peeled back the layers to uncover a mysterious female figure concealed beneath Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto (1901), a sombre depiction of Picasso’s sculptor friend and one of the first works from his innovative Blue Period.
This extraordinary discovery was made in collaboration with the Oskar Reinhart Collection’ Am Römerholz’ in Switzerland to prepare for the upcoming exhibition Goya to Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection, opening on 14 February. The Courtauld’s x-ray and infrared imaging revealed not just one but multiple layers of paint, offering a tantalising glimpse into Picasso’s creative process during a pivotal moment in his career.
The hidden painting, likely created just months before Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto, depicts a woman with a distinctive chignon hairstyle, her curved shoulders and delicate fingers faintly visible beneath the surface. Her presence evokes the seated women Picasso painted in 1901, such as Absinthe Drinker (Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) and Woman with Crossed Arms (Kunstmuseum, Basel). Even more intriguing, traces of yet another figure—a head—suggest that this canvas was reworked multiple times, a testament to Picasso’s relentless experimentation.
The discovery sheds new light on a transformative period in Picasso’s life. In 1901, the 19-year-old artist arrived in Paris from Spain, eager to make his mark. His early works from this time, created for his first exhibition at Amboise Vollard’s gallery, were vibrant and Impressionistic, brimming with colour and energy. By the autumn of that year, Picasso’s style had begun to shift. The suicide of his close friend Carlos Casagemas earlier that year cast a long shadow, and Picasso’s palette grew darker, more introspective. This marked the beginning of his Blue Period, a defining phase in his career.
Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto captures this transition. Painted in the studio, Picasso shared with de Soto—a space once inhabited by Casagemas—the portrait is melancholy. In the background, a faint depiction of Casagemas’s burial is a reminder of loss. Beneath this contemplative scene lies the earlier painting of the mystery woman, her presence a ghostly echo of Picasso’s earlier, more vibrant style.
Picasso’s reuse of canvases was both practical and poetic. Strapped for cash, he often painted over earlier works and embraced layering to evolve his art. Rather than erasing the past, he allowed it to inform the present, creating a dialogue between styles. As Barnaby Wright, Deputy Head of The Courtauld Gallery, observes, “Picasso’s way of working to transform one image into another and to be a stylistic shapeshifter would become a defining feature of his art.”
The identity of the woman remains a mystery. Was she a model, a friend, or a lover? A figure from Parisian nightlife or a melancholic muse? Further research may yield clues, but her anonymity only adds to the painting’s allure.
Kerstin Richter, Director of the Oskar Reinhart Collection, reflects on the discovery’s significance: “This is a picture of great complexity, revealing its secrets over the years. Now we can visualise the artistic development process of the young painter layer by layer.”
For Aviva Burnstock, Professor of Conservation at The Courtauld, the revelation underscores the power of technology to illuminate the artist’s hand: “In revealing this previously hidden figure, we can shed light on a pivotal moment in Picasso’s career.”
This hidden painting is more than a technical marvel—it’s a window into the mind of a young artist on the brink of greatness. As Picasso’s Blue Period gave way to new phases of innovation, this layered canvas is a testament to his restless creativity and enduring legacy.
Goya to Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection opens at The Courtauld Gallery on 14 February, with Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto—and its hidden companion—taking centre stage. Sponsored by Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin, the exhibition promises to be a journey through art history, with Picasso’s secrets waiting to be uncovered.