X-radiograph(s) of "Madonna of Cushion (Copy)" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of a copy of Andrea Solario's "Madonna of the Cushion," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. The image is, well, ghostly. Editor: It appears veiled, fragmented, as though the very act of looking is invasive. What does this process reveal about the original painting? Curator: The X-radiograph lays bare the material strata of the artwork itself. It reveals the density and distribution of the paint layers, the wood support, as well as the pentimenti. Editor: So, we see not just the final image, but the traces of the artist's hand, the labor involved in its creation, the physical history of the object. Curator: Precisely! It allows us to examine the construction of the image, the materiality of devotion, the very structure underlying its visual impact. Editor: It's a fascinating lens through which to consider not just the image, but also the conditions of its making. Curator: Absolutely, and through that, the processes and the historical context of art itself.