X-radiograph(s) of "Youth's Portrait" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Youth's Portrait" by Jacobello di Antonello, currently at the Harvard Art Museums. It has a ghostly quality, revealing layers beneath the surface. What structural elements strike you in this piece? Curator: Note the distinct rectangular frame. This internal framing, bisected by a horizontal band, creates a rigid structure. The variations in tone and texture within these forms suggest an underpainting, a scaffolding upon which the final image was built. Editor: So, the X-ray reveals more about the artist's process than the finished portrait itself? Curator: Precisely. It foregrounds the materiality and compositional choices inherent in the painting's creation. The artist's decisions are etched in grayscale, decoded through scientific intervention. Editor: Fascinating to see art from a scientific perspective, truly revealing hidden aspects of the creation. Curator: Indeed, it provides another layer of understanding. A dialogue between science and art.