X-radiograph(s) of "Mother and Step-Brother" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of John Singleton Copley's painting, "Mother and Step-Brother." The film itself measures about 35 by 43 centimeters. What do you make of it? Editor: Ghostly! It's like peering beneath the surface, seeing the bones of the artwork. The textures are incredible, like cracked ice. Curator: Exactly. X-radiography allows us to see beneath the final image, revealing the artist's process, earlier compositions, and materials used. It’s a peek into the history embedded within the canvas. Editor: So cool. It reminds me that even the most polished artworks have layers of revision, pentimento, and doubt hidden underneath. Art is never truly finished, is it? Curator: Indeed. These layers speak volumes about the social and artistic conventions Copley navigated. The changes he made reflect his world. Editor: Seeing this radiographic view makes me appreciate the unseen labor, the restless spirit striving for expression, now frozen in time. Curator: It offers a unique lens through which to view art history itself.