X-radiograph(s) of "Titus" 

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have an arresting piece: an anonymous X-radiograph of a painting titled "Titus". Editor: The immediate effect is spectral, almost ghostly. The monochrome palette and shadowy forms give it a certain gravitas, a sense of unveiling secrets. Curator: Indeed. This is not just a portrait, but a glimpse beneath the surface. "Titus," likely depicting the son of Rembrandt, speaks to enduring themes of family legacy, filtered through scientific scrutiny. X-radiography, in this instance, offers a means of artistic investigation. Editor: The composition is stark, with the suggestion of a face emerging from the textured wood. The stark contrast highlights the subject's essence, but lacks the artist's hand, turning it into something more conceptual. Curator: Precisely. Stripped of color and conventional artistic flourish, the x-ray reveals the unseen, echoing how the unconscious is revealed through symbols and their repetition in cultural memory. Editor: This piece gives us a unique way to reconsider portraiture, focusing on structure and underlying form, as much as representation. An interesting find. Curator: Yes, a powerful look at layered meanings, through the lens of science.