X-radiograph(s) of "Philosopher" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Philosopher" after Jusepe de Ribera, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. The original artwork's creation date is unknown. Editor: There's an ethereal, almost ghostly quality to this X-ray. You can make out the vague shape of a head and shoulders, but it's like peering into a memory. Curator: Absolutely. This X-radiograph allows us to see beneath the surface, revealing the artist's process and any underlying layers of paint. It's a fascinating look at the evolution of an image. Editor: It's interesting how the scientific process of radiography transforms a representational work into something more abstract. Does that distort or enhance the cultural significance of the original piece? Curator: That's a complicated question. The X-ray strips away the colour and texture that would have been crucial to Ribera's original intent, but adds a layer of interpretive potential. Editor: I agree. It's a new symbol, the artwork reborn through technology. I find it fascinating how each layer of interpretation changes how we connect to the original image. Curator: Indeed. It's like a visual echo, reminding us that art is always in dialogue with its history and its present.