X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Young Lady" 

Curator: Here we have an x-radiograph of "Portrait of a Young Lady," originally by Michiel Jansz. van Miereveld, residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's ghostly! Like peering into a memory, or a half-formed dream, filtered through a strange grid. The sharp edges are a weird contrast to the softness of the face. Curator: Indeed. The grid is inherent to the x-radiograph process itself, a structural intervention that alters our perception. It calls into question the nature of the portrait – what it conceals, what it reveals. Editor: Makes you wonder about the person beneath the image, doesn't it? All the layers of paint, and the life lived within that skin. You sense secrets. Curator: Precisely. Semiotically, the x-ray functions as a sign pointing beyond the surface, disrupting traditional notions of representation. Editor: It tickles the imagination, gives you the feeling you're discovering something, even if you're not exactly sure what it is. Curator: An apt description. The radiographic view challenges us to find fresh perspectives on artistic practice, and the very notion of portraiture. Editor: It shows you that an image can have multiple lives. Who knew an x-ray could be this evocative?