X-radiograph(s) of "Mary Hall Wentworth" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Mary Hall Wentworth," attributed to John Smibert. It’s fascinating to see beneath the surface of a portrait. What do you see in this ghostly image? Curator: The x-ray reveals not just the physical form but also the hidden history, the cultural memory embedded within the paint. Notice the subject's gaze; even in this skeletal form, it retains a certain power. Editor: Power? It feels more like a relic than a powerful image. Curator: Relics themselves hold power, don’t they? Consider the layers of meaning we project onto them, the stories they whisper of a bygone era, a silent dialogue across centuries. Can you sense the echoes of colonial America? Editor: I see what you mean. It is like a visual palimpsest. Thanks for sharing that perspective.