X-radiograph(s) of "Fishmarket" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of Emanuel de Witte's painting, "Fishmarket," found at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought is it's a ghost, a spectral remnant of something once vibrant and bustling. All that remains is a faint memory of the scene. Curator: Indeed. X-rays reveal hidden layers and revisions beneath the surface of the finished work. You see how the artist may have originally planned a detail, then painted over it. Editor: Fascinating. I'm drawn to the grid-like structure visible underneath. It speaks to the labor involved, the canvas itself, the foundation upon which the image was built. Curator: I see this skeletal view as a meditation on time and the cyclical nature of markets. Fish markets themselves are ephemeral spaces of exchange and transformation. Editor: So, this almost scientific view grants a deeper understanding of the materials and choices the artist made. Curator: It's interesting how the image transforms, from a lively depiction to a memento mori. Editor: For me, it underscores art's relationship to the physical world.