X-radiograph(s) of "Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse)" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of Vincent van Gogh's "Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle," and it’s fascinating to see beneath the surface of the painting. What do you make of seeing the materiality exposed in this way? Curator: The X-radiograph allows us to analyze Van Gogh's process, the literal laying down of paint. Notice the density of the impasto; it reveals the labor involved and, in a way, democratizes the artistic act by highlighting the physical creation over solely the aesthetic. It asks us to consider the role of the medium itself. Editor: So it's about shifting our focus from the image to how the image was made? Curator: Precisely! And by extension, questioning the value we assign to the artist's hand versus the materials they manipulate. Editor: That's such a different way of approaching art. I’ll remember to look for the labor in the art, not just the image.