X-radiograph(s) of "Madonna and Child with Angels" 

Curator: Here we have an x-radiograph of "Madonna and Child with Angels," originally by Gerard David, part of the Harvard Art Museums' collection. Editor: Haunting! It’s like peering into the bones of a devotion, seeing the scaffolding beneath the sacred image. Curator: Precisely. This x-ray unveils the underpainting, the artist's process, revealing the material structure and layering. It strips away the color, leaving only the lead white pigments. Editor: Stripped, but not bare. It reveals a strange tenderness. The child’s ghostly face… it makes you wonder about the very substance of faith, its unseen architecture. It's beautiful in its own raw way. Curator: It makes us question what we value: the finished image or the journey of its creation, the physical reality behind the art historical narrative. Editor: I’ll take both, please! This ghostly echo adds depth to the original painting, don't you think? It's like a secret whispered from the past.