X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Woman" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Portrait of a Woman," attributed to Gerard David. It's a ghostly image, a kind of hidden truth of the painting. What hidden stories do you think this image is telling us? Curator: X-radiographs speak to the idea of cultural memory embedded within an object. Consider the physical presence of the sitter—now reduced to a shadow, a trace. What does it mean to capture the essence of someone in an image, only to have it decay and be revealed in this manner? Editor: So, it’s about the layers of meaning and time? Curator: Precisely. The X-ray reveals not just the materials, but the passage of time and the shifting cultural significance we place on images of women. The painting, now filtered through technology, becomes a potent symbol of mortality and enduring representation. Editor: That gives me a whole new perspective. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. These ghostly images reveal hidden cultural truths.