X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Young Man" 

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums holds this intriguing X-radiograph of "Portrait of a Young Man," originally by Petrus Christus. It presents such a ghostly image. Editor: Indeed! The composition, stark in its monochrome, emphasizes the structural form—a study in contrasts and skeletal representations. Curator: This imaging offers a perspective beyond the surface, revealing the materiality and the historical context of artistic practices. Editor: Quite! It strips away the superficial, allowing us to consider the foundational elements and the underlying techniques. Curator: The radiographic view hints at the hidden labor and artistic decisions embedded within the portrait. It's like peering into the past through a lens of modern science. Editor: Precisely. A unique intersection of art and science, transforming our understanding of classical portraiture. Curator: It re-frames our understanding of a young man as viewed through both a classical painting and contemporary radiological technology. Editor: A skeletal view that invites further formal and social analysis of this portrait.