X-radiograph(s) of "Rail Splitter" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Rail Splitter," after Jean-François Millet. It's held in the collections of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks like a ghostly, metallic echo. Eerie, and also incredibly revealing! Curator: Indeed. The x-ray allows us to penetrate the surface and see the artist's process. Editor: I'm thinking about the labor involved. Millet's work often idealized rural labor. This x-ray exposes the layers beneath, the materiality of the painting itself. Curator: It's a fascinating paradox. Millet was invested in Realism, the imagery of the rail splitter evokes cultural archetypes of strength and American identity. Editor: Yes, a narrative layered upon layers of paint and canvas. I am captivated by this glimpse beneath the surface. Curator: Seeing through time, touching the past, a hidden perspective. Editor: It makes you wonder what other secrets lie hidden beneath the surfaces of artworks, just waiting to be revealed.