X-radiograph(s) of "Madonna Adoring" 

Curator: This is an x-radiograph of "Madonna Adoring," attributed to the School of Jacopo del Sellaio, now in the Harvard Art Museums collection. It offers a spectral view, doesn't it? Editor: It does. It's like peering through layers of history, both revealing and obscuring the original form. It makes me think about the socio-political narratives these images held, and how they’ve been reinterpreted over centuries, even to now with this x-ray. Curator: Exactly. The x-ray reveals the artist's process, the hidden marks, the repairs, and materials, and we can examine the techniques used to convey religious iconography and the social context in which the original artwork was produced. Editor: Absolutely, and it’s powerful to think about the labor involved, the artist's hand, and also the systems of belief that sustained these images. This technology allows us to engage with how we treat devotional objects. Curator: Precisely. A material investigation enhances its historical context. Editor: It certainly prompts important questions about art, faith, and the very nature of seeing.