X-radiograph(s) of "Girl Asleep" 

Editor: Here we have an X-radiograph of Jan Vermeer’s "Girl Asleep," from the Harvard Art Museums. It’s eerie seeing the painting stripped down like this. What can we learn from it? Curator: This radiograph offers a unique window into artistic practice. It reveals how artists like Vermeer built their compositions, layer by layer. It also raises questions about authenticity and attribution. Do such technical analyses change how we value the finished work? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't thought about how knowing the underlayers could change its reception. Curator: Exactly. It invites us to consider the relationship between the artist's process, the object itself, and the public's understanding of art. Editor: This makes me see the painting, and museum practices, in a new light! Curator: Me too! It underlines the importance of continued investigation into the life of artworks.