X-ray used to reveal secret of 19th-century painting

The power of medical imaging has helped solve a significant mystery in Australia. French painter Edgar Degas’ “Portrait of a Woman,” completed in the late 19^th century, has perplexed the art world for many years; they could tell an older painting was hidden in the background, but they could never tell what that old image was—until now.

Using x-ray beams from a synchrotron, scientists from a company called Australian Synchrotron discovered that the hidden image was actually another portrait of a woman.

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