pentimento

Pentimento is a painting term describing a modification in a work that becomes visible later, as the upper layers of paint or varnish become transparent with age. The phenomenon reveals that the artist altered the composition or reworked elements during execution, such as changing the position of a figure, the shape of a hand, or the facial features.

Etymology and use: The word comes from the Italian pentimento, meaning a change of mind or repentance. In English, pentimento is often used in the plural pentimenti. The term can refer to both underdrawing or earlier paint layers that reappear after subsequent layers have dried and aged.

Causes and appearances: Pentimenti arise when the artist revises a drawing, paint layer, or arrangement while the work is in progress. Changes may involve proportions, pose, or spatial relationships. Over time, the topmost paint may become semi-transparent, allowing the earlier image to show through. Pentimenti can be detected in oil, tempera, and fresco paintings, as well as in drawings where successive graphite or ink marks are partially covered.

Detection and study: Art historians use techniques such as infrared reflectography, X-ray radiography, ultraviolet fluorescence, and high-resolution imaging to reveal hidden underlayers. These methods help distinguish deliberate revisions from later restorations and provide insight into the artist’s working methods and the painting’s history.

Significance: Pentimenti illuminate the artistic process, offering a record of changes and decisions made during creation. They can influence attribution, dating, and restoration strategies, and contribute to our understanding of how masterpieces took shape.