X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of an Admiral (?)" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of Ferdinand Bol’s "Portrait of an Admiral(?)," held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a ghostly, almost unsettling view of the painting beneath the surface. What secrets do you think this radiography reveals, beyond just the brushstrokes? Curator: It's like peering into the soul of the painting, isn't it? Forget what's visible; this unveils the artist's process, their hesitations, pentimenti. The heavy lead-based whites reveal the initial bold strokes, changes in composition… it’s like archaeology in monochrome. Does it change how you see the finished portrait? Editor: Absolutely! It feels like uncovering a hidden narrative, a dialogue between the artist and the canvas. I wonder if Bol ever imagined someone peering into his work this way, centuries later! Curator: Probably not! And that’s the delightful audacity of art – it keeps whispering secrets across time, waiting for fresh ears to listen. Maybe that's the real portrait, the unseen struggle beneath the surface.