X-radiograph(s) of "Self-Portrait (copy)"

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of a copy after Sir Joshua Reynolds's self-portrait, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought is that it looks like a ghost in the machine, this ethereal, broken-up image. Curator: Indeed. The X-ray reveals layers of paint and process, giving insight into the artist's hand and the history of the object itself. Editor: It's fascinating how it challenges our traditional view of art, focusing on the physical processes, the layering of material, rather than just the final image. It becomes about labor itself. Curator: Absolutely, and what this says about the institutional valuation of art making. This image challenges our preconceptions of authorship and authenticity. Editor: Seeing beneath the surface offers a kind of truth. Curator: An alternative truth that complicates conventional notions of artistic skill. Editor: Ultimately, it pushes us to consider the value we place on art, and what we choose to see, or in this case, what we don't see.