X-radiograph(s) of "Self-Portrait" Possibly 22 - 60

Curator: I find it eerie, like peering into a ghostly echo. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is an X-radiograph of Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a peek beneath the surface, revealing the artist's process. Curator: It's like the painting is holding its breath, baring its skeletal structure. All those brushstrokes, the layers of intention—it’s almost voyeuristic to see them so starkly. Editor: The squares superimposed on the image are the weave of the canvas, and the lighter areas indicate denser concentrations of pigment. We can see the underlying composition, the artist’s initial blocking out of form. Curator: It's fascinating to consider how much of a painting is hidden beneath what we see. It’s all there, the false starts, the revisions, the very soul of Rembrandt laid bare. Editor: It does offer a unique perspective, a deconstruction of the artistic process itself. A stark reminder of the materiality beneath the illusion. Curator: I suppose, looking at this, it's all about peeling back layers. Editor: Quite so.