X-radiograph(s) of "Mrs. Daniel Denison Rogers"

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Mrs. Daniel Denison Rogers," originally by John Singleton Copley. It's quite ghostly! What strikes you most about this particular view of the painting? Curator: The radiographic perspective is fascinating. It reveals the artist's process—the underpainting and compositional changes otherwise hidden beneath the surface. Note the areas of density; they speak to Copley’s layering technique. The canvas itself becomes a subject, its weave an integral part of the visual experience. What do you make of the tessellated appearance? Editor: It looks like it's made of multiple images. I suppose that's how they X-rayed the painting? Curator: Precisely. The composite view allows us to see the painting's structure in its totality, layer upon layer. Editor: Seeing the bones of the painting is more revealing than I expected. Curator: Indeed, the materiality becomes central. This view asks us to reconsider what constitutes the artwork itself.