X-radiograph(s) of "Male Portrait (fragment)" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of a "Male Portrait (fragment)" by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The image itself is a 14 by 17-inch film. Editor: The X-ray gives it an eerie quality, like a ghost trapped in time. Curator: Exactly! The X-radiograph reveals the underpainting and the material layers beneath the surface. We can see the artist's working process, the canvas texture, and the density of the pigments used. This also shows us how conservation efforts might impact the materials. Editor: It's fascinating to think about the social implications of preservation – who decides what gets saved, and what messages does that send to future generations? It also makes you wonder about the ethics of intervening with an artist's original intent. Curator: Absolutely. And this x-ray technology allows a deeper understanding of materiality and artistic labor. Editor: It makes you think about the portrait's journey through the hands of collectors, institutions, and conservators. Curator: Indeed, an unseen history unveiled through scientific means.