Featured An interesting "pentimento" on L'Angelus

I just saw this, and thought others would find it interesting as well.
It shows some examples of "pentimenti", but the one I like the best is the L'Angelus.
Some (all? LOL) of you may have known about it, but I did not.
http://www.viralnova.com/pentimento-paintings/

""L'Angelus" is a painting by French artist Jean-François Millet from 1859. On the surface it depicts two peasant farmers in a field looking down at a basket of potatoes. However when the painting was x-rayed it was revealed that the basket of potatoes was originally a small coffin.

The painting was only x-rayed after the artist, Salvador Dali, insisted that it was originally a funeral scene. Eventually the Louvre begrudgingly x-rayed it, vindicating Dali's hunch."

 

The whale wasn't too convincing, so I think it's removal improved the picture. But, it's interesting to see these pentimenti -- kind of like seeing an author's original ms with all the corrections and cross-outs.

 

I actually love the whale picture. But I am, as you all know, kinda weird.

 

I liked the wedding/funeral painting

 

For SoS: http://books.google.com/books?id=3Yq0IRs_ZZwC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=preparation of the bride courbet&source=bl&ots=SlvgIUWYoJ&sig=H7SSSxb5j7hRG9l75_FQcGsQ4zs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Diz_U6znB8TIggTn_4GYDA&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=preparation of the bride courbet&f=false

X-rays of the painting showing Courbet's original work:

http://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?museum=all&t=objects&type=all&f=&s=Courbet&record=1

 

Thank you 6rivets,very interesting article. Amazing how an X-ray can reveal so much