X-radiograph(s) of "Maria Portinari"

Curator: This is an x-radiograph of Hans Memling’s portrait of Maria Portinari, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s an eerie, almost ghostly impression. Editor: Indeed. What strikes me immediately is how this process reveals the materials and construction beneath the surface, the literal nuts and bolts of production. Curator: Absolutely. The x-ray allows us to see the underdrawing, changes made during the painting process, and the materials used—perhaps revealing trade secrets. Editor: It makes one consider the labor involved, the layers of meaning and materials built up over time, and the value assigned to those processes by the Portinari family. Curator: It certainly shifts our understanding of the portrait, moving beyond pure aesthetic appreciation to engage with its material history and its complex journey through time. Editor: Seeing it like this prompts me to reflect on what we choose to value and display, and how institutions shape our understanding through revealing some aspects while concealing others.