X-radiograph(s) of "Cavalier and Page" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Cavalier and Page," attributed to Carel Fabritius, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Haunting. All those swirling grays, almost like looking into a storm. It renders the figures ghostlike, stripped of their surface appearance. Curator: Indeed. X-radiography allows us to peer beneath the visible layers of paint, revealing the artist's process and any underdrawings or pentimenti. It's art historical archaeology. Editor: And fascinating in its abstraction. We lose the details of costume and expression but gain this raw, structural insight into form. It's like seeing the skeleton of the composition. Curator: Precisely. And this technique has enabled scholars to understand the evolution of the painting, the artist's changes and corrections, giving us insight into the making of art in the 17th century. Editor: It certainly pushes us to reconsider what constitutes an artwork—is it just what meets the eye, or the hidden layers and decisions beneath? Curator: A question worth pondering as we continue our exploration of the museum’s holdings! Editor: It’s been a stark, yet intriguing glimpse. Thank you.