X-radiograph(s) of "Madonna and Child" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of “Madonna and Child,” attributed to Lancelot Blondeel, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It looks like a ghostly echo, doesn't it? As if we're seeing the bones of a painting, the structure beneath the surface. Curator: Exactly. X-radiography allows us to see the underdrawing and layers of paint, offering insights into the artist's process. It is like an art historical forensics, revealing pentimenti or changes made by the artist. Editor: Forensics, yes! You see the original artist's hand at work beneath what might be later additions. What a beautifully eerie way to connect with the past, the physical manifestation of time layering on the canvas. Curator: Absolutely. It reminds us that artworks have hidden stories, waiting to be uncovered. Editor: I like that, hidden stories indeed, I can almost hear its secrets.