Experts have uncovered a remarkable secret concealed within an 18th-century oil painting at a National Trust property in Wiltshire.
The artwork, titled “Stourhead in its Infancy”, had long been considered the earliest known depiction of the famous estate.
However, infrared imaging has now exposed unexpected features lurking beneath the visible surface of the canvas.
The discovery emerged at the outset of a twelve-month conservation effort, during which specialists employed infrared reflectography to examine what lies beneath accumulated layers of varnish, grime and paint.
Claire Reed, a curator at the trust, described the find as “incredibly rare and incredibly exciting”.
The concealed scene includes a horse-drawn carriage complete with passengers, along with a woman wearing a bonnet, a male figure, and what has been described as a “coach dog”.
Ms Reed explained that these elements had been deliberately obscured: “In a corner of the painting a carriage, with occupants, horses and even a little dog, had been painted out.”
Intriguingly, traces of the original composition remain visible to the unaided eye.
Specialists employed infrared reflectography to find the never-before-seen image
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“Even with the naked eye you can see the wheel of the carriage poking through the upper layers of paint, and almost encircling this figure that’s been later painted on,” the curator noted.
The revelation has compelled the National Trust to reassess when the painting was actually created.
Costume details visible in the hidden imagery now indicate the work dates from approximately 1785 to 1800, significantly later than previously believed.
Perhaps more fundamentally, the discovery has cast doubt on the painting’s very subject matter.
The image is thought to be the first known view of the Wiltshire estate
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NATIONAL TRUST
The landscape was assumed to capture Stourhead during its early developmental phase, but this assumption is now being questioned.
Ms Reed said experts have scrutinised the depicted features against both the current garden and historical records of how it appeared: “We’ve looked at the features in the painting and compared them to the landscape garden as we know it today and as we know it was and has been [and] it looks very different to this. So the jury is out.”
The current composition shows cattle, sheep and figures in the foreground, with a white classical temple visible on the distant shore and part of a bridge on the opposite bank.
Yet, whether this scene truly represents the Wiltshire estate remains an open question following the infrared analysis.
Ms Reed reflected on the broader implications of such findings in the modern era: “In a world of AI and fake images, it has made us question what we think we know about many of our paintings.”
The year-long restoration project continues, with experts now examining the artwork with fresh uncertainty about its origins and true subject.