X-radiograph(s) of "Self-Portrait" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Self-Portrait" by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Seeing it this way, stripped of color, is almost ghostly. What symbolic reading can we give to an X-ray? Curator: The X-ray reveals not only the artist's self-representation but also hints at the layered cultural memory embedded within the portraiture genre itself. Think about the symbolism of revealing the hidden layers. What does this imply about the nature of self-perception and how we construct identities? Editor: That's fascinating. It makes me think about how much of ourselves we present versus what remains unseen. Curator: Exactly! The image becomes a powerful symbol of introspection, mortality, and the complex interplay between the visible and the invisible aspects of selfhood. Editor: I never thought about it that way. Seeing through the surface unveils deeper meanings. Curator: Indeed, offering a fresh lens to reconsider traditional artistic interpretations.