X-radiograph(s) of "Donoress" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Donoress," originally by Hans Memling. It's a 14x17 inch film from the Harvard Art Museums. My first impression is a sense of structured constraint, like looking through a barred window. Editor: Exactly. The grid imposed on the ghostly image creates a feeling of being trapped, doesn't it? This image reflects the artist's position, perhaps even the donor's status within the societal framework of the time. Curator: I agree, and the use of X-ray technology allows us to see through layers—literal and figurative—to understand the hidden structure. Perhaps Memling, through the donor, aimed to display the inner workings of power. Editor: It is interesting to reflect upon these artistic interventions and how they reveal so much about how we engage with art, or even history itself.