X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Woman (Artist's Mother ?)" 

Curator: This is an x-radiograph of "Portrait of a Woman (Artist's Mother ?)", a painting attributed to Jacques Jordaens and part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s eerie, isn’t it? Like a ghost trapped between worlds, a hidden truth revealed, yet still obscure. Curator: Absolutely. X-radiography allows us to see beneath the surface, revealing the artist's process, underdrawings, and any alterations made over time. Here, we glimpse the history embedded within the layers of paint. Editor: It’s like peering into the collective unconscious of art. The image, stripped bare, becomes a vessel for universal themes: memory, identity, the relentless passage of time. Curator: Yes, and it’s a reminder that art is not just what we see on the surface, but a complex construction of intention, technique, and perhaps even accident. Editor: A fascinating dance between visibility and invisibility, leaving us to ponder the story hidden within.