X-radiograph(s) of "Male Portrait" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of a "Male Portrait" by Diego Velázquez. The ghostly, layered effect is quite striking. What can you tell me about the composition of this image? Curator: Observe how the density of the radiographic image reveals underlying layers of paint application. This underpainting indicates the artist’s process of layering and correcting forms. Note how the skull shines through—the artist's hand is made manifest. Editor: So, the structure of the painting itself becomes the subject? Curator: Precisely. The medium reveals the artist's method, and it’s in that method we find meaning. What have you observed regarding the materiality? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, but I see how the texture and application are key. Thanks for pointing that out. Curator: Indeed, decoding the visible reveals an unseen order, a framework for interpretation.