X-radiograph(s) of "Madonna and Child" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Madonna and Child", by an artist from the School of Giovanni Bellini. It feels ghostly. What can we learn from this technical view of a classic subject? Curator: The X-radiograph isn’t about the aesthetic experience. It's about revealing the painting's material history. Think of it as a kind of archaeological dig into the layers of paint and the artist's process. It's a way of understanding authenticity, and the market forces that shape the value of paintings. Editor: So, it's about the painting as an object, not just an image? Curator: Precisely. It asks us to consider the socio-economic aspects of art history: What it means to own, preserve, and study art across time. It shows art's complex journey through the marketplace. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. It shows art is more than just what meets the eye. Curator: Exactly! It's a fusion of art and science!