X-radiograph(s) of "Self-Portrait" 

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of "Self-Portrait" by Rembrandt van Rijn, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's an X-ray, so it’s kind of eerie and ghostly. What does this image reveal to you about Rembrandt’s process or the painting itself? Curator: Well, X-radiography offers a behind-the-scenes look, revealing layers of artistic decision-making invisible to the naked eye. It highlights the evolution of the artwork, the pentimenti, and the artist's revisions which contributes to our understanding of artistic creation as a process shaped by cultural norms, material constraints, and the artist’s own self-perception. Editor: So it shows more than just what Rembrandt wanted us to see? Curator: Precisely. It shows the underpainting and hidden layers, revealing how the image evolved in relation to his self-fashioning and the expectations of his patrons and viewers. I wonder what it says about Rembrandt's cultural context to have his work so thoroughly analyzed? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about! Thanks.