Degas' mystery model unmasked

Scientists say ghostly figure is probably Emma Dobigny

Researchers used super-X-ray vision to peer beneath the surface of a portrait by impressionist Edgar Degas and gaze upon the model whose likeness he painted over nearly 140 years ago, they reported Thursday.

The woman, whose image Degas turned upside down before using it as a base for a new painting, was probably Emma Dobigny - a favourite model of 19th century French artists, the team announced.