X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Lady" 

Curator: At first glance, I'm struck by its ghostly, almost ethereal quality. It feels like peering into a half-remembered dream. Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at are X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Lady," originally attributed to Michiel van Musscher. It's not the portrait itself, but a peek behind the curtain, so to speak. Curator: Ah, that explains the sense of looking beneath the surface. The way the bones and pigments create this layered image reminds me of palimpsests, where old stories are written over. Editor: That's insightful. X-rays reveal hidden underdrawings or previous compositions. They show pentimenti, the artist's changes of mind, their process, their... hesitation. Curator: It adds such a depth. Knowing there may be hidden stories beneath enhances the power of what we actually see. It is amazing to imagine and discover these stories. Editor: It allows us to engage with the artist's creative journey on a more intimate level. These aren't simply x-rays, they are the hidden layers of artistic intent. Curator: It does give you a sense of the history of this woman, and the artist too. It is like a collaboration between the present and the past. Editor: Precisely. I'll never look at art quite the same way again.