The face of the Virgin of Humility
An area treated for internal damage located precisely in the focal point of the work is clearly visible in the X-ray image: the Virgin’s face.
Part of the paint was lost at some point in areas measuring 1 to 2 square centimetres between the eyes and beneath the lips. A hole 6 millimetres in diameter running through the whole thickness of the wooden support is also visible in the lower loss.
Our hypothesis is that the work was pierced from the front – could it have been accidentally? – possibly by a 6-millimetre bullet, which caused greater damage on exiting on the reverse side due to the energy released from the impact.