X-radiograph(s) of "Satyrs chasing Nymphs" 

Curator: What we have here is an X-radiograph of "Satyrs chasing Nymphs", attributed to Honore-Victorin Daumier. It resides in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: My initial impression is one of hidden processes; seeing the skeletal structure beneath the paint gives it a ghostly quality, like looking at its artistic DNA. Curator: The very act of creating an X-radiograph transforms our engagement. It shifts the focus from the artist's hand to the scientific gaze. Editor: Absolutely! It reveals the layering, the underpainting—the very materiality that built this artwork, which, in its time, would have been hidden during creation. Curator: It's fascinating to consider the cultural implications: Daumier, known for social satire, depicted scenes of pursuit and power, a theme that resonates even through this radiographic filter. Editor: And this allows us to analyze the labor involved in creating the piece itself, questioning traditional ideas of artistic genius being separate from material execution. Curator: Indeed, a potent reminder that art is more than just what meets the eye, even in a traditional museum setting like this one. Editor: It’s the bones of the thing, isn’t it? The raw materials telling a new, revealing story.