Lady in Red is a half-length

portrait painting Portrait Painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and pr ...

by Sri Lankan artist Mudaliyar A. C. G. S. Amarasekara, that was accidentally discovered in the

National Art Gallery List of national galleries is a list of national art galleries. {{tocright Africa *Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa *National Art Gallery of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia The Americas *Galería Nacional, San Juan, Puerto ...

in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The painting remained undiscovered until 2021, when it was found to be hidden under the canvas of a portrait painting of

Ananda Samarakoon Egodahage George Wilfred Alwis Samarakoon (13 January 1911 – 2 April 1962) known as Ananda Samarakoon was a Sri Lankan (Sinhalese) composer and musician. He composed the Sri Lankan national anthem " Namo Namo Matha" and is considered the fath ...

, also painted by Amarasekara. The subject of the Lady in Red is unknown, but is speculated to be the wife of a politician, a daughter of an ambassador, or perhaps another artist. She is depicted wearing a red sari, with green blouse, and a red wedding band.

Discovery

In 2021, the National Art Gallery of Sri Lanka, located in the affluent Cinnamon Gardens neighborhood of the capital city Colombo, was undergoing a project to preserve and restore 239 of its art pieces. From charcoal and watercolor to acrylics and oil paintings, the collection at the gallery spanned two centuries, and a diverse mix of mediums. Due to an insufficient number of experts in the field in Sri Lanka, easel painting conservation expert Jennifer Myers was brought in from the United States to take up the task of working on a national collection of this caliber. Myers was National Endowment for the Humanities Painting Conservation Fellow at the

Chrysler Museum of Art The Chrysler Museum of Art is an art museum on the border between downtown and the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. The museum was founded in 1933 as the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. In 1971, automotive heir, Walter P. Chrysler Jr. ...

in Norfolk, Virginia. On 11 December 2021 the team was working on a portrait painting of

, painted by

A. C. G. S. Amarasekara Gate Mudaliyar Abraham Christopher Gregory Sooriyarachchi Amarasekara (2 March 1883 – 29 March 1983) was a Sri Lankan painter. He is considered one the important Sri Lanka artists of the Ceylon Society of Arts of the mid 20th century. ...

, when Myers noticed a few inconsistencies with the painting and its canvas. The fabric of the canvas on the front of the painting was different than that of the back. Furthermore, they noticed an odd dust pattern. Due to the painting being done horizontally in landscape orientation, the dust should have been collecting at the bottom of the canvas frame, but had instead collected along the side of the frame.Roar LK (9 February 2022).
Who Is The Mystery Woman In This 90-Year-Old Painting?
. via YouTube. Retrieved on 2 August 2023.

References

{{reflist Sri Lankan painting Portraits of women