In 2015, experts at the Tretyakov Gallery studied the painting with X-rays, UV-light, microscopes, and other tools. The scientists were interested in the bright paint seen through the craquelures. They knew something else was underneath the painting.

They were amazed when they found not one but 2 new paintings under the upper layer and something more.

The first layer was a painting that looked similar to the 1913 piece, The Knife Grinder Principle of Glittering by Kazimir Malevich. It had pink, green, and orange colors. It was finished and the paint was dry — it even had its own craquelures.
The second layer was a painting in the proto-suprematism style, similar to Lady at the Poster Column by Malevich. It didn’t have the numbers and shapes that were typical for cubism and the colors were brighter.
Researchers found Malevich’s fingerprints.
Also, under the square, they found the words, “Negroes fight in a tunnel.” This is a reference to an earlier work by another artist. In the 1880s, Alphonse Allais drew a black square and titled it, Negroes Fight in a Tunnel.
When the experts read the words, they realized that before, the square had always been exhibited upside-down.

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