X-radiograph(s) of "Male Portrait" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Male Portrait," after Andrea del Castagno. The image offers a ghostly glimpse beneath the surface. What's your initial take? Editor: Well, the composition is unsettling. The stark contrast and mottled texture evoke a sense of decay or perhaps hidden secrets beneath the image we expect. Curator: Indeed. The X-radiograph reveals the material construction and any underlying pentimenti, offering clues about the artist's process, like how materials reflect the labor involved. Editor: For me, it's about what is visibly present. The formal structure, normally obscured, now becomes the subject. Curator: It reveals layers of history, the labor and materials that constitute the artwork, while you see aesthetic revelations. Editor: Precisely, though both add unique layers to our understanding. Curator: Ultimately, these unseen layers invite us to reassess the definition of seeing. Editor: It encourages a deeper, more inquisitive look beneath the surface, that's for sure.