Johannes Vermeer’s painting Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window (1657-59), above, once contained a secret: a Cupid hidden beneath the background. Historians used to think Vermeer, a Dutch Old Master artist, painted over the figure. But now, experts believe an owner of the painting did so decades after Vermeer died in 1675.
Forty years ago, scientists X-ray scanned the painting’s surface, revealing the Cupid hidden below. Artists often change their minds about their work, leading them to modify their original compositions. So historians believed Vermeer painted over the Cupid as part of his creative process.
Recently, scientists conducted more tests, which showed a layer of dirt between the Cupid and the overpaint. This discovery proves the figure had been visible for years before someone covered it long after the artist had died. Scholars point out that Vermeer included the same Cupid image in other paintings, indicating the symbol’s significance in his work.
Researchers suspect that in the 18th century, an unknown owner of the work painted over the Cupid to satisfy his or her own artistic tastes. But the figure’s absence alters the artwork’s narrative: Cupid, the Roman god of love, informs viewers that the young woman in the middle ground is probably reading a love letter.
Last summer, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen (STAHT-lich KOON-stahm-LOON-gehn) Dresden museum in Germany displayed the work with the Cupid partially revealed. In the coming year, scientists will complete the restoration of the entire figure. What do you think: Should anyone other than the artist change an artwork to reflect his or her preferences?