X-radiograph(s) of "Mrs. Elisha Cooke Jr." 

Curator: We're looking at an X-radiograph of "Mrs. Elisha Cooke Jr.," originally by Bacchiacca, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's presented as a film of 14 x 17. Editor: Haunting, isn't it? Like a ghost trapped in linen. It feels like we're peering through layers of time and material. Curator: Indeed. The x-ray reveals the painting's underlayers, offering a peek at the artist's process, how the composition was built, and even potential alterations over time. Editor: It's a radical act, to strip away the surface, literally. What does it mean to expose the hidden architecture of a portrait, especially one of a woman, considering the historical layers of female representation? Curator: It challenges our understanding of artistic creation, authorship, and the very idea of a finished artwork, moving beyond aesthetics. Editor: Absolutely. It encourages us to question what we see, what's been concealed, and whose stories are being told or left untold. Curator: It's fascinating how a technical process transforms a familiar portrait into a document of cultural history. Editor: It really underscores the constant negotiation between the artist's intent, the sitter's representation, and our own contemporary interpretation.