Picasso’s ‘Blue Room’ painting hides another masterpiece

Picasso’s 1901 painting “The Blue Room” — housed at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. — portrays a young Parisian woman bathing near a window. But hidden below the masterpiece, is a completely different scene.

Using infrared technology, scientists and researchers have discovered a painting of a man hidden below the “Blue Room.”

Picasso’s “Blue Room” painting. Courtesy of the Phillips Collection.

According to the AP, in 1954, a conservator noted odd brushstrokes on the painting that could be an indication of something below the surface. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that a fuzzy image of something was revealed, but the question remained of what exactly that something was.

The bearded man has been revealed as the canvas’ original painting. Who is he? That question remains unanswered.