X-radiograph(s) of "Male Portrait" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of Agnolo Bronzino's "Male Portrait" held at the Harvard Art Museums. The film size is 14 x 17. Editor: It has a ghostly quality; layers of faint images almost like an ethereal sketch. Curator: Precisely! This allows us to peer beneath the surface, revealing the artist's process. What about the underdrawing and layering? The artist's initial intentions, changes, and the material evolution of the piece. Editor: Absolutely, and let's consider the social implications. This reveals the labor that went into creating this single portrait. The layers upon layers reveal the intense amount of work and detail put into this image. Curator: Seeing through the surface in this way, we gain a new perspective on the historical context and meaning of the portrait itself. Editor: Indeed. This process shows that underneath the surface is still something to be valued.