X-radiograph(s) of "St. John" 

Curator: It’s like looking at a ghost. This is an X-radiograph of “St. John,” originally by Nardo di Cione, found at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s striking how the process reveals the material substructure. You can see the wooden panel beneath the paint, the way it's constructed. Curator: Yes, the light passes right through, showing the artist's hand in a new, almost voyeuristic, way. It’s fascinating to see the pentimenti—those hidden corrections and changes. Editor: Absolutely. It reminds us that art isn't just an image, but a physical object shaped by labor and the characteristics of the materials themselves. Curator: It makes me think about time, too. The layers, both visible and invisible, tell a story of creation, revision, and perhaps even restoration. Editor: And a story of how we continue to analyze and interpret these objects, pushing them through new technological processes. Curator: Precisely. It’s a collaboration between the artist, the restorer, the machine, and ourselves. Editor: And that collaboration opens up new ways of understanding artistic labor.