X-radiograph(s) of "Calumny" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of Sandro Botticelli's "Calumny," a work whose creation speaks volumes about artistic process. It's essentially an x-ray of the painting at Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels haunted, spectral. I see figures emerging and fading like ghosts. There's a raw, exposed quality to it, like peering into the soul of the painting itself. Curator: Precisely. X-radiography reveals underdrawings, pentimenti – those changes made during the painting process itself. It showcases Botticelli's labor and creative choices. Editor: It is strangely beautiful. The grid intensifies this idea of peering beneath surfaces. Is the purpose more about archiving than aesthetics? Curator: These x-rays become a vital tool for understanding how a master constructed such an allegorical work, offering clues about early modern workshop practices. Editor: In a way, this piece is as much about revealing as it is about concealing, the act of seeing becomes an act of revealing. Curator: Exactly. We're left with an impression of artistic production, exposing the hidden layers of materiality. Editor: Like looking at an x-ray of time, or maybe an x-ray of truth.