X-radiograph(s) of "Still Life of Eggs" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Still Life of Eggs," a painting originally by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, now held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's eerie. Like a ghost of a painting. The canvas texture is so prominent, it's almost louder than the image it once supported. Curator: Indeed. These radiographs allow conservators to examine the painting's structure beneath the surface, revealing hidden layers and damages invisible to the naked eye. It shows us how the artwork has aged over time. Editor: There's something hauntingly beautiful in seeing that inner architecture, those unseen structural elements that support a still life – even those humble eggs – a behind-the-scenes secret. Curator: Absolutely. It's a portrait of time itself, etched into the very fabric of the artwork. Editor: Well, it makes me think differently about art, like there's this whole other level of history humming beneath what we actually see. Fascinating.