X-radiograph(s) of "Stephen Salisbury II" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Stephen Salisbury II," of which the original painting was done by Chester Harding. It's fascinating to see this hidden layer. What can we learn from seeing the painting like this? Curator: The X-radiograph allows us to consider the labor and materiality in portraiture, beyond the finished image. Consider the canvas itself, its weave made visible, and the underpainting – the artist's process exposed. Editor: It's like seeing the skeleton of the artwork! Curator: Precisely. It challenges the notion of the artwork as purely aesthetic, revealing the physical means of its production and, by extension, Harding's own physical engagement with materials and labor. Editor: I never thought about art this way. It makes me curious about the social context of art-making and consumption. Curator: Exactly! This shift in focus expands our understanding of the portrait's value.