Sure, you can peel back the varnish like a stubborn onion, but every layer you strip is a part of the painting’s own life story. If you just want the original underdrawing, you’re ignoring the artist’s choice to layer time, color, varnish, and even later restorers. Collectors and historians alike argue that the surface is part of the artwork’s history too. So, instead of a blind excavation, ask: what narrative does each layer add? If you only want the raw, that’s your job, but you’re also deciding to erase the rest of the story.