X-radiograph(s) of "Still Life with Lobster" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Still Life with Lobster" by Jan Davidz de Heem, residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: What a ghostly presence! The layers and textures revealed through this process are unexpectedly compelling. Curator: Indeed. This imaging technique allows us to peer beneath the surface, revealing the artist's process and any hidden compositional changes. It democratizes art history by showing how the work was made and altered. Editor: Absolutely. I'm particularly drawn to the textures, the way the X-rays interact with the different materials. It offers a unique commentary on the labor involved. Curator: It shifts our focus from a single finished piece to an understanding of art as a constructed and often revised object. Editor: Precisely. Seeing this X-radiograph really underscores the collaborative labor involved in making and preserving art. Curator: It offers a new lens for appreciating the unseen history embedded within the artwork. Editor: And to consider the value we place on those unseen layers.