X-radiograph(s) of "St. Jerome" 

Curator: At first glance, the composition appears fractured, obscured, almost like a ghostly palimpsest. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at an X-radiograph of a painting thought to be after Hieronymus Bosch's "St. Jerome," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Curator: The image reveals the painting's support structure, overlaid with what seems to be a figure. The tonal range, limited to shades of gray, flattens the depth and emphasizes the material presence of the work as an object. Editor: These X-rays were critical in establishing the painting's physical history and helped scholars examine the artist's process, the preparatory layers, and possible changes made during its creation. It represents institutional efforts to preserve and understand artworks, even beneath the visible surface. Curator: An apt reminder that what we see is only a fraction of the story. Editor: Precisely; these images unveil the hidden histories embedded within the artwork.