X-radiograph(s) of "Madonna and Child" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Madonna and Child," attributed to Sano di Pietro. What strikes you? Editor: It looks like a ghostly relic, veiled in a network of cracks. The forms are present, but age and damage are very apparent. Curator: Indeed. X-radiography allows us to look beneath the surface, revealing the history and structure, and it shows the painting support. Editor: How interesting that what's normally hidden becomes the visible subject, altering our reception of the piece. Curator: The visible damage becomes part of the iconography. We see not just the Madonna and Child, but the history of devotion and the ravages of time. Editor: Seeing the hidden structure changes our understanding of the image's meaning and its life as an object of cultural significance. Curator: Absolutely. It layers meaning, revealing the passage of time. Editor: It’s an unsettling and profound way to consider a familiar theme.