X-radiograph(s) of "Man with Arrow" 

Curator: We're looking at an X-radiograph of "Man with Arrow," after Hans Memling. The image is held in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's eerie, a face emerging from this grid. The stark monochrome emphasizes the sitter's ghostly presence. Curator: Precisely. The x-ray reveals the painting's underlayers and structure beneath what is visible to the naked eye. The grid pattern imposed upon it likely is an artifact of the x-ray equipment. Editor: The "Man with Arrow" hints at hidden histories. Was this portrait a commission, a political statement? I wonder about the subject’s identity and what their story might tell us about the period. Curator: I am interested in how the x-ray unveils the artist’s process, the materiality of the art object itself. Editor: For me, it's a reminder of the stories art can conceal and reveal, all at once. Curator: Indeed. It challenges our perception of art as merely surface and invites us to explore its hidden dimensions.