PARIS.- The Louvre reported that one of its curators stumbled upon some unknown drawings in the rear of a Leonardo da Vinci painting. These drawings could possibly be by da Vinci also. The works were discovered accidentally when the work "The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne" was unhooked to be studied and restored as part of a program that also includes the “Mona Lisa”.

The Louvre museum stated, "When the work, which is painted on wood, was unhooked, a curator noticed two barely visible drawings on the back of the painting, showing a horse's head and half a skull."

The staff was so surprised by this discovery that at first thought the marks on the wood were stains. The "The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne" work was painted in the early 1500s. The museum has already conducted detailed tests of the back of the painting. Infrared camera photographs show there are three drawings, one of which portrays Child Jesus playing with a lamb.

The museum further stated, "This is an exceptional discovery because drawings on the back of paintings are very rare and no example by Leonardo was previously known. The style of the drawings recalls the style of Leonardo, but research is ongoing to clarify their authorship."