X-radiograph(s) of "Christ Blessing, Salvator Mundi" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Christ Blessing, Salvator Mundi," attributed to the workshop of Sandro Botticelli. What strikes you most about this image? Editor: The darkness, definitely. There's something unsettling about seeing this familiar religious icon rendered as a ghostly negative, almost like an accusation rather than a blessing. Curator: Indeed. X-radiography allows us to see beneath the surface, revealing the artist's process, alterations, and perhaps even the hands of different contributors within Botticelli's studio. It invites questions about authorship and authenticity, so hotly debated with the "Salvator Mundi" paintings. Editor: That's right! It challenges the idea of a singular artistic genius. This image speaks to a broader network of labor, power dynamics, and the market demands that shaped artistic production in the Renaissance. The "artist" is a fluid concept here, isn't it? Curator: Precisely. It refocuses our attention away from individual attribution and towards the collaborative, commercial, and social contexts that fostered such works. I find that fascinating. Editor: Me too. It's a potent reminder that even sacred images are products of their time, embedded in complex social relations. Curator: Well, it gives us something to think about. Editor: Agreed.