X-radiograph(s) of "Captain" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Captain," originally by Giovanni Battista Moroni, a film measuring 14 x 17. It offers a fascinating glimpse beneath the surface of the artwork. Editor: It's like looking at a ghost. You see the traces of the painting but lack the color and depth we usually associate with Moroni's portraits. Curator: Precisely. What's revealed are the material choices and the artist's process. We can see the underpainting, the density of the pigments, perhaps even repairs or alterations made over time. Editor: And it makes me think about the hidden lives of portraits. How they're not just images, but physical objects with their own histories of creation, alteration, and display within institutions. Curator: Indeed. X-radiography highlights the labor and materiality embedded in the artwork, reminding us of its complex existence beyond just aesthetic appreciation. Editor: It truly changes how we understand the portrait's public and private life. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure.