X-radiograph(s) of "Mrs. Joseph Mann" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of John Singleton Copley's "Mrs. Joseph Mann", residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s like peering beneath the surface of time itself! Editor: My first impression is a ghost in linen. A spectral presence barely clinging to the woven grid of the canvas. Curator: It reveals underpainting, the artist's process, revisions invisible to the naked eye. You can see how Copley built up layers, altering the composition. Editor: The darkness pooling at the base, perhaps where the sitter’s dress rested, creates a somber, almost unsettling foundation. What secrets does this reveal about Copley's technique? Curator: It humanizes the process. Painting wasn't this immaculate, pre-ordained act. It was messy, intuitive, and evolving. Editor: Indeed. The stark contrast forces us to confront not just the image, but the making of the image. It invites a re-evaluation of artistic intention. Curator: Seeing art this way transforms our understanding—it’s like witnessing a painter’s private conversation with the canvas. Editor: I’ll never look at a portrait quite the same way again. It encourages us to consider the unseen labor that shapes our perceptions.