X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Man, a Duke of Saxony" 

Curator: The image before us is an X-radiograph of “Portrait of a Man, a Duke of Saxony” after Lucas Cranach the Elder, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s haunting, almost like a ghost caught in a net. Editor: Yes, the grid is quite striking. This radiograph provides a fascinating look into the materiality, perhaps revealing information about the support structure, the preparation layers, and the pigments used by Cranach's workshop. Curator: It’s interesting to think about the layers of power involved. Cranach, a court artist, painting a Duke, and now, this clinical eye exposing its hidden material history. Editor: Indeed. The X-ray reveals decisions about materials and labor. We can ponder the social and economic context surrounding the work's creation and its preservation over time. What does it mean to dissect a portrait of power in this way? Curator: Perhaps to demystify it. To see the human hand, the physical reality, beneath the Duke's painted facade. It’s a type of material deconstruction. Editor: Precisely, offering a unique perspective into both art history and the broader societal structures it reflects.