A previously unpublished portrait of Fryderyk Chopin has been discovered, one of only three known photographs of the Polish pianist and composer.

The newly discovered photograph is likely a reproduction of a daguerreotype taken around 1847.

It was discovered by Chopin-enthusiast Swiss physicist Alain Kohler in the living room of another fan of the Polish musician.

Kohler, together with Radio France Internationale’s Gilles Bencimon, compared the picture with other portraits of the composer, which included photographs, paintings, drawings and sculptures, and concluded the reproduction is nearly certainly of Chopin and unlikely to be a forgery.

However, it is still unclear what happened to the original daguerreotype.

The two previously known photos of Chopin are also reproductions; the originals were lost in World War II. (vb)

Source: Poland.pl, Polish Institute in Paris