X-radiograph(s) of "Hubert Goltzius" 

Curator: What strikes me first is the ghostly quality. The composition is mostly obscured, but there’s definitely an eerie presence. Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Hubert Goltzius," originally painted by Antonis Mor. The process of radiography allows us to examine the painting's internal structure. Curator: So we are seeing the material support, the layers beneath the surface. It reveals the artist's labor, the very construction of the image itself. Editor: Indeed. Note how the X-rays penetrate the varying densities of pigment, revealing the artist's underpainting and revisions. It disrupts our common understanding of surface versus depth. Curator: Seeing this disrupts the idea of the artist as some kind of singular genius. It shows painting as a layered and material endeavor. Editor: Yes, it challenges the concept of the artwork as a finished object and invites us to consider its evolution. Curator: Viewing art like this is such a good example of how technique informs our understanding of art. Editor: Absolutely. It allows us to decode the image anew, understanding the work through the lens of process and materiality.