X-radiograph(s) of "Self-Portrait" 

Curator: Here we have an x-radiograph of Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait," offering a glimpse beneath the surface. It’s fascinating to consider what this process reveals about the artist's hand and the evolution of the work. Editor: My first impression is of a ghost; it's an ethereal image. There’s something quite haunting about seeing the skeletal structure of a painting. Curator: Indeed, the x-ray allows us to see the material density, revealing the layered application of paint, the underdrawing, and potentially pentimenti—Rembrandt’s alterations as he worked. Think about the labor involved. Editor: It's a deconstruction of the familiar, stripping away the color and texture to expose the underlying architecture. The composition now hinges on the contrast of light and shadow within this monochrome palette. Curator: And that monochrome allows us to focus on the process itself, the materiality of the paint and canvas, and how Rembrandt built up the image through physical labor, layer by layer. Editor: Seeing this hidden structure makes me rethink the finished portrait. It's a reminder that art is not just an image, but an object with its own history and internal form. Curator: Exactly, a history etched in material and process. Editor: A ghostly form, indeed.