X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of an Elderly Lady" Possibly 1 - 60

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of Gerard Terborch's "Portrait of an Elderly Lady." The ghostly image reveals the canvas and the artist's underpainting. What can we learn from its structure? Curator: Observe how the X-ray unveils the armature beneath the visible surface. The varying densities suggest the artist’s initial blocking-in of form and composition, an abstract interplay of light and shadow. Note the density of the upper right quadrant. Editor: That's intriguing. So the composition isn't just what we see on the surface; there's a hidden architecture at play? Curator: Precisely. The structural integrity, the very bones of the artwork, are laid bare here. The x-ray shows the artist’s process in building up to the final image. It is a skeleton of the creative act. Editor: That's fascinating. I never thought of an X-ray as revealing so much about artistic intention. Curator: Indeed, it is a study in layers of meaning, beyond the aesthetic experience.