X-radiograph(s) of "Landscape" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of Rembrandt van Rijn's "Landscape," residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. It strips away the familiar facade of the finished painting. Editor: My first impression is of ghostly layers, like palimpsests of creation and decision-making. It reveals what's underneath, the bones of the image. Curator: Precisely. Imaging technologies allow us to question the canon itself. How do Rembrandt's choices reflect the societal constraints and artistic expectations of his time? What narratives were suppressed? Editor: And materially, we see the traces of the artist's hand, the build-up of paint, the very substance that conveys meaning and now, through radiography, becomes data, information. It is about the materials themselves as storytellers. Curator: Absolutely, these imaging techniques challenge traditional notions of the artist's singular genius, exposing the evolution and the material processes that contribute to the final piece. Editor: It allows us to appreciate the physical labor and material choices, in addition to its historical contexts. It allows us to fully examine the artwork. Curator: A critical lens for understanding not just art history, but also its intersection with larger sociopolitical narratives. Editor: Seeing the process adds to the wonder and awe.