X-radiograph(s) of "Studies from Saint Symphorien Series" Possibly 25 - 54

Curator: We're looking at an x-radiograph of studies from Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' "Saint Symphorien Series," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It measures about 35 by 43 centimeters. Editor: It's haunting, almost ethereal. Like looking at a ghost or a forgotten memory etched onto film. The stark contrasts invite a sort of solemn reverence, don't you think? Curator: Indeed. What's fascinating is the process itself: using x-rays to investigate the layering and changes Ingres made. It reveals the artist's labor, the material history hidden beneath the surface. Editor: Right, it is like seeing the artist's creative choices exposed, quite literally, down to the bone. It invites a deeper appreciation of artistic creation as a practice of constant iteration and revision. Curator: Absolutely. It moves beyond just admiring the finished work, forcing us to consider the artist's choices as they relate to material and form. Editor: It's an unexpected, beautiful invitation to think about art history through a new lens—or, in this case, an x-ray. Curator: Precisely. It makes you wonder what other secrets lie beneath the surface of masterpieces.