Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum has launched a new app for tablets allowing users to turn "art detective" when looking at the Dutch master's paintings.
The Touch Van Gogh app for Android and iPad tablets allows users to explore the secrets behind some of Van Gogh's best works including The bedroom, View from Theo's apartment and Daubigny's garden.
"The app... uses multi-touch features that make it easy and entertaining to explore the information concealed in and under the paint," the museum said in a statement.
"People can discover the secrets of Van Gogh's painting techniques and learn more about his working methods," added museum director Axel Rueger.
For instance, with the swipe of a finger an old layer of varnish can be digitally removed from The bedroom to revealed a restored painting, or the top layer of View from Theo's apartment can be rubbed away to reveal how Van Gogh reused his canvasses.
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The app allows users to "discover how a painting looked before restoration, exactly why it was painted, where the paint has become discoloured and how the composition is constructed", the museum said.
"Like a detective, users can unravel the mysteries of Vincent van Gogh's paintings at their own pace, gradually learning more about the life and work of this famous artist," it added.
