X-radiograph(s) of "Still Life with Birds I (wing outstretched)" 

Curator: The image before us is an X-radiograph of "Still Life with Birds I (wing outstretched)" by Jan Vonck, now held at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a ghostlike image. Editor: It certainly looks more like a map of some strange terrain than a painting, doesn't it? Curator: Precisely. The X-ray allows us to examine the layers of material reality, the underpainting and the techniques used in creation. Consider how each brushstroke is revealed, giving insight into the artist's process. Editor: And thinking about how we interact with art, the very act of X-raying alters its status. It moves from aesthetic object to scientific specimen. How does this shift in context change its meaning? Curator: It opens up dialogue. We see beyond the surface, literally, understanding the labor and construction. Editor: Indeed, the political implications are clear: whose labor is valued, and how do we perceive artistic creation through different lenses? Thank you, this was intriguing. Curator: An insightful perspective, I agree.