X-radiograph(s) of "Peasant Scene" 

Editor: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Peasant Scene" after Egbert van Heemskerck the Elder. It's fascinating to see a painting rendered this way! What can this X-ray tell us that a regular viewing can't? Curator: The X-radiograph reveals the painting's materiality, the linen support, the weave's density and any repairs. Look at the darker areas: denser pigment accumulates there. This process breaks down the hierarchy of "high art," focusing on the labor and materials involved in its creation. Editor: So, by looking at the raw components, we get a different understanding? Curator: Exactly. It shifts the focus away from the subject matter and towards the physical reality of the artwork, revealing the artist's process and the painting's history of production and perhaps consumption. Editor: That's a completely different lens. I'll definitely be looking at art with a more material eye now. Curator: Indeed, considering the labor and the materials reframes our appreciation.