X-radiograph(s) of "An Astronomer" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "An Astronomer" by Jusepe de Ribera, film size 14 x 17, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The monochrome palette and the way the figure emerges from the shadows—what can you tell me about the composition of this piece? Curator: Note the stark contrasts and layered densities. The radiographic technique reveals not only the surface, but the substructure, the artist's process. Look at the lines—where do you see structural integrity and where does the image dissolve? Editor: The head and face have such clarity and then it fades as it moves down toward the shoulders. Curator: Precisely. Consider the interplay between the visible and the obscured. How does this X-ray alter our understanding of the original painting's formal qualities? Editor: It's like the painting has been dissected, and we’re seeing its bones! I never considered the layers of process before, so that’s really intriguing. Curator: Indeed. The radiographic lens compels us to consider the materiality of art and the very structure of image-making.