X-radiograph(s) of "Music Party" 

Editor: Here we have an X-radiograph of Jan Steen’s "Music Party" from the Harvard Art Museums. It's a ghostly image, revealing hidden layers. What can this type of image tell us about the work? Curator: X-radiographs allow us to see beneath the surface. What symbols are obscured, what stories are yet to be uncovered? The painting itself is a cultural artifact, isn't it? And the x-ray reveals not just pigment, but intention. Editor: Intention? Curator: Yes. What do you think the artist's choices, visible only through this lens, might reveal about societal values? Editor: So the technique itself becomes part of the story, highlighting lost or hidden meanings. Fascinating! Curator: Precisely. It prompts us to reconsider our understanding of not just the painting, but its place in our collective memory.