Researchers at the Fundació Joan Miró discover a portrait of Joan Miró’s mother beneath the work Painting (c. 1925)

The Fundació Joan Miró’s team of researchers has conducted a scientific and technical study using the very latest non-invasive methods to study cultural heritage, which have revealed an image of the underlying portrait and have made it possible to identify the subject as Joan Miró’s mother, Dolors Ferrà i Oromí, thanks to the information provided by X-ray analysis, infrared photography and hyperspectral imaging.

In order to share this historic discovery, tomorrow the Fundació Joan Miró will be presenting the documentary El secret de Miró (Miró’s Secret) and the exhibition Under the Layers of Miró: A Scientific Investigation, both of which not only provide an opportunity to view Painting (1925-1927) first hand but also explain the scientific and technical study that made this discovery possible.

The documentary El secret de Miró, being premièred today, 27 March, reveals the entire research process, making it an indispensable tool for understanding this discovery in depth and for appreciating its significance.