X-radiograph(s) of "Mrs. Lingen" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Mrs. Lingen" by Thomas Sully, its film size is 14 by 17. It's fascinating to see a portrait rendered in this ghostly way. What layers of meaning are revealed when we look beneath the surface like this? Curator: The X-ray reveals not just the structure, but the palimpsest of artistic decisions. What does this process suggest to you about unveiling hidden histories, both personal and cultural? Does it remind you of other instances where hidden truths are revealed? Editor: It's like archaeology, unearthing the artist's process, but also hinting at the subject's hidden story beneath her painted facade. Curator: Precisely. It mirrors how we excavate cultural memory, finding layers of meaning embedded within symbols and images. It is like glimpsing the cultural DNA of the portrait. Editor: That's a powerful thought. I never considered how an X-ray could reveal so much about both the artist and the subject. Curator: Indeed. Art reveals the universal quest for truth, layer by layer.