X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Man" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph, a kind of behind-the-scenes look at Callisto Piazza's "Portrait of a Man," held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's on a 14 x 17 film. Editor: It's ghostly, isn't it? Like peering at a hidden soul, all layers of varnish and brushstrokes laid bare. Curator: Exactly. We see the underpainting, the materials beneath the surface, the very labor invested. It disrupts the usual consumption of art. Editor: Makes you wonder about the man himself. Is he as layered as this painting, secrets hidden under a stoic facade? Curator: Or maybe it's about the artist's hand, the process itself—the materiality triumphing over the subject. Editor: I find it comforting to know that under every face, every pose, there's a story etched in pigment and light. Curator: A story of creation, labor, and the physical reality of art. Editor: A reminder that even portraits have skeletons!