When used to examine paintings, nonvisible light, such as ultraviolet, can penetrate the painting’s visible surface and give art historians important insights into an artist’s process. For example, imaging the underlayers of Claude Monet’s Wisteria (1917–20) revealed that Monet had initially included water lilies but ultimately painted over them. Imaging can also provide insights into a painter’s choice of materials, showing, for example, whether a painter used Prussian blue pigment in a given work.
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easyAccording to the text, why are the images beneath the surface of a painting valuable to art historians?
A
They can reveal aspects of an artist’s decision making.
B
They can show how long a painting took to complete.
C
They can indicate whether a painting is damaged.
D
They can be used to prove which artist painted a given work.