X-radiograph(s) of "Cardinal Borgia" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of Diego Velázquez's "Cardinal Borgia," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. The radiograph provides a ghostly view beneath the surface. Editor: It's quite striking, isn't it? The image appears as a web, almost like a shroud, veiling the Cardinal's likeness. The symbols of power are quite literally obscured. Curator: Radiography allows us to consider the artist’s process, exposing layers of identity and perhaps even the Cardinal's societal role, revealing how constructed these portraits, and therefore perceptions, can be. Editor: I see the spectral presence of a man, captured not in paint, but in shadow and light, hinting at mortality and the ephemeral nature of worldly influence. Curator: It invites us to dissect not just the artwork, but the subject’s historical context and the power dynamics at play in this depiction. Editor: A fascinating dialogue between science and art, offering a glimpse into the hidden depths beneath the surface.