X-radiograph(s) of "Bust of Christ" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Bust of Christ," originally by Rembrandt van Rijn, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Ethereal and unsettling. The stark monochrome and ghostly figure seem to expose something beyond the surface, a kind of spiritual undercurrent. Curator: Indeed. Radiography allows us to see beneath the visible layers, revealing the artist's process. It's fascinating to consider how this technology changes our perception of a familiar religious icon. Editor: The image's disintegration is powerful. It makes me think about the fragility of belief and the persistence of cultural memory. Does the X-ray alter or reinforce the image's sanctity? Curator: That’s precisely what's at stake. Does revealing the inner workings diminish the artistic aura, or does it democratize the masterpiece by showing its material construction? Editor: I think it might do both. Exposing the hidden structure also prompts contemplation on the nature of faith itself. Curator: A beautiful paradox—revealing the invisible, questioning the visible. Editor: Precisely, it's a layered viewing experience.