X-radiograph(s) of "Annunciation to Shepherds" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Annunciation to Shepherds," originally by Adam Colonia. The image reveals layers unseen to the naked eye. What strikes you most about this, from a symbolic perspective? Editor: It’s ghostly! I immediately focus on the orb at the top. Is that meant to symbolize divine presence, an otherworldly light breaking through the earthly plane? Curator: Precisely! And note the wooden support—the very structure infuses the divine moment with the labor of its creation. The vertical grain creates an interesting visual echo with the descending spiritual message. Editor: The figures themselves seem obscured, almost impressions. It feels like cultural memory seeping through material. Curator: Indeed. The process of X-raying itself feels like an unearthing, a revealing of the hidden efforts of creation and the support that helps create the painting. Editor: Seeing through the surface certainly provides a fresh way to think about layers of meaning. Curator: It prompts us to consider the many hands and materials involved in its making. Editor: A fascinating encounter!