X-radiograph(s) of "Female Portrait" 

Editor: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Female Portrait," attributed to the School of Frans Pourbus the Elder. Its stark monochrome palette and fragmented appearance feel quite unsettling. What strikes you most about its formal qualities? Curator: The fractured composition immediately draws the eye. Note how the network of cracks dissects the subject's face, disrupting the traditional portrait format. The contrast between the dense areas of lead white and the transparent background also emphasizes the materiality of the paint itself, revealing the artist's process. Editor: So, the damage becomes an integral part of the artwork's visual language? Curator: Precisely. The X-ray unveils hidden layers and structural weaknesses, transforming the portrait into a study of decay and revelation. Editor: I hadn't considered how the damage could be so revealing. Thank you. Curator: It is the interplay of form and process that makes this image so compelling.