X-radiograph(s) of "Edward Winslow" 

Curator: Here we have an x-radiograph, 14 by 17 inches, of the painting "Edward Winslow," thought to be the work of John Smibert. Editor: It's like seeing a ghost, a hidden structure beneath what we know. Eerie, almost. Curator: These radiographs help us understand the construction of a painting; the materials used, and how the artist built up the image layer by layer. It's art history meeting science. Editor: It’s fascinating to see the underlying composition, the artist’s initial decisions made visible. Makes you wonder about all the changes, second thoughts, the invisible history of art. Curator: Indeed, it reminds us that paintings are not static objects, but rather palimpsests, revealing cultural and creative processes over time. Editor: Thinking about it, it is a rather poetic way to examine art history, don’t you think?