X-radiograph(s) of "St. Jerome" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "St. Jerome," attributed to Bartolommeo di Giovanni, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's eerie, like a ghostly underpainting revealed! All these layers, like secrets buried beneath the surface. Curator: Precisely! X-radiography allows us to peer beneath the visible paint layers, revealing the artist's process, pentimenti, and the material structure. St. Jerome, a key figure in the Catholic Church, was known for his translation of the Bible and is often depicted in contemplation. Editor: Knowing the story behind St. Jerome, it's interesting how this technique adds another layer of interpretation. We're not just seeing the saint; we're seeing the construction of an idea, the process of canonization, almost. Curator: Absolutely. This process lays bare an interesting paradox, doesn't it? Exposing the unseen, which is the root of knowledge and the creative process itself. Editor: Well, it certainly makes me think about what we choose to reveal and conceal, both in art and in life. Curator: It reminds me that art is never just about what's on the surface, but the unseen depths from which it emerges.