Fresh research has uncovered a remarkable discovery beneath Johannes Vermeer’s famous Girl with the Red Hat. Using advanced imaging technology, specialists at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, revealed that the 17th-century panel conceals an earlier composition—a portrait of a man wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a tasselled collar. For years, the underpainting was dismissed as the work of an unknown artist because of its looser brushwork, which seemed unlike Vermeer’s refined style. However, new studies show that the Dutch painter often worked quickly and loosely at the underpainting stage, meaning the hidden portrait could, in fact, be his own. If authenticated, this discovery would not only represent Vermeer’s only known male portrait but also provide fresh insight into his early career, suggesting he may have experimented with conventional portraiture before his celebrated religious and domestic scenes.