X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Woman" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Portrait of a Woman," originally by El Greco. The image allows us to see beneath the surface of the artwork. Editor: It’s haunting. The stark contrast between the ghostly visage and the clinical grid creates an eerie tension. Curator: Indeed, the X-ray reveals the artist’s process, the underpainting, and corrections. It allows us to consider the social conventions of portraiture in El Greco's time, particularly for women. Editor: The semiotic weight of the gaze, even in this abstracted form, remains powerful. Consider the underlying structure—the arrangement of light and shadow. Curator: It also prompts questions about authenticity, labor, and the layers of meaning embedded within a single image. We are peeling back time, history, and identity. Editor: Looking at it this way, it is more than a portrait; it is a study in artistic creation.