X-radiograph(s) of "Mrs. Collyear" 

Editor: Here we have an x-radiograph of "Mrs. Collyear," originally painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Seeing beneath the surface like this is fascinating! What can we learn from the materials and process revealed by this image? Curator: This x-ray transcends the traditional portrait. It exposes the artist's labor, the physical act of building up the image layer by layer. Think about the pigments used, the canvas preparation, the very materiality that enabled Reynolds’s vision. Editor: So, it's not just about the likeness, but the physical creation? Curator: Precisely! This x-ray shifts our focus from the finished product to the means of production, and the social context of materials, labor, and consumption in Reynolds's time. Editor: It’s a new way to appreciate the art! Curator: Indeed, it makes you rethink the hierarchy of art and craft, doesn't it?