Observe Reverse

A fantastic discovery. 

I inherited the beautiful KK Hebbar line drawing of a dancer from my parents (signed by the artist, 1962) My father had got the drawing framed ages ago. 

During a recent move, the frame had cracked. Also I wanted to frame it with non-reflective glass, since the faint black line of the dancing figure is too delicate to see against the texture of the paper, especially when light reflects off the glass surface.   

I went to my local framer, who does work to my specifications, with instructions to make a wooden frame with non-reflective glass, all dimensions given with millimetre precision.  I told him that I could not leave the painting with him, but to keep the frame ready and I would come with the painting and its cracked frame, for him to reframe it in my presence. 

Imagine my surprise at what we found whenwe took the line sketch out of it old frame:  these dramatic (unsigned)  studies on the reverse of the sheet. 

I used the old glass as the backing, instead of a wooden/composite board.   Every now and then I look at the dancers on the "other side". 

Moral: always supervise the framing of a painting; for its safety and for pleasant surprises such as this one.