X-radiograph(s) of "Virgin and Child with St James" 21-Aug-00

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Virgin and Child with St James," originally by Andrea Previtali. The image comes to us from the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is of layers, and a kind of haunting exposure of the artwork's skeleton, stripping away the surface to reveal the underlying structure. Curator: Precisely. X-radiography allows us to peer beneath the visible surface, exposing the artist's process, earlier versions, or later restorations. Think of it as a visual metaphor for unveiling hidden histories. Editor: It makes me think about how even sacred images are material objects, subject to decay and intervention. It challenges the idea of a pristine original, reminding us that art exists in a social and temporal context. Curator: Indeed. The radiographic image itself becomes a symbol—of time, change, and the ongoing relationship between art, science, and cultural memory. Editor: And of how we are constantly re-evaluating and re-interpreting the past through the lens of the present. Fascinating. Curator: It certainly offers a unique perspective on a Renaissance masterpiece.