Secret

Students study it. Tourists gravitate towards it. It wasn’t until early this morning while our small class was standing within 20 feet of it does Peter whisper to us “come here children, I need to whisper or we will get kicked out”. I thought he just wanted us in closer because we we’re taking up too much space, but then he whispers “it’s a fake, it’s not real” The Famous Leonardo Da Vinci painting The Adoration of the Magi is a lie.

In 2002 the Uffizi Gallery had commissioned Maurizio Seracini, a diagnostician of Italian art to undertake a study of the paint-surface to determine whether the painting could be restored without damaging the fragile work. Due to the age and fact that this is incomplete many questioned if it was necessary to take such action and if so could it perhaps result in ultimately destructing the painting? The Adoration of the Magi is the under painting of what was to become a completed work. Using an infrared light Seracini found a charcoal base drawing covered in fingerprints identical to those on other works completed by Da Vinci. This drawing has protective layer white that had time to crack and peel before more painting was completed. Not only that but the current painting does not correspond to the drawing underneath...For example, the temple in the painting’s current state is in ruin however, Leonardo had drawn the workers rebuilding it. His drawings contained more whimsical aspects to it such as an elephant and more faces in the picture’s lower left hand side. Leonardo wasn’t painting a world falling apart but a world coming together. A world emerging from the ruins. Therefore not only does the findings of under painting completely change the meaning of the painting, but now that leaves us to wonder whose work is this???

Apparently here you can see the image underneath online, unfortunately it is only for PC users, so I haven’t looked yet…. But try:
http://www.geoplayer.com/gateways/adoration.html