X-radiograph(s) of "Man with a Fur Hat" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Man with a Fur Hat" by Rembrandt. The composition is striking, but what can we really learn from an x-ray of a painting? Curator: Indeed. The X-radiograph allows us to see the artist's process beneath the surface, revealing the structural composition and layering of the paint. Editor: How do you mean? Curator: Note the density variations. These areas indicate where the artist applied more or less pigment, highlighting the formal qualities of light and shadow as compositional tools. Do you see how the underlying structure informs our perception? Editor: I do now. It really changes how you understand the finished work. Curator: Precisely. This perspective lets us deconstruct the artist's formal language and understand the painting's evolution.