X-radiograph(s) of "Miracle of St. Dominic" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Miracle of St. Dominic," attributed to Domenico Morone. It’s a film, roughly 14 x 17 inches. It gives me pause. Editor: It looks like a ghostly image, almost like layers of history are fighting to be seen. The wood grain is so prominent; you can feel the material. Curator: Indeed, this radiograph allows us to see beyond the surface. What hidden narratives are revealed by looking at the painting’s layers in this way? Does this expose the underpainting, the structure, perhaps even the artist's process? Editor: Absolutely. It's about the materiality itself, the labor, and the choices made in its construction. The starkness of this image is a study of the social life of art, from inception to preservation. Curator: I see it as a deconstruction, almost a refusal to accept the painting at face value. An interrogation of the power structures that uphold notions of artistic "miracles" in the first place. Editor: A very powerful perspective. This process is as valuable as the finished artwork. Curator: Agreed. An art piece and its journey through time are both worthy of inquiry.