X-radiograph(s) of "Bishop" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Bishop," a work attributed to the School of Melozzo da Forli, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's like seeing a ghost. Ethereal, fragmented. A hidden structure revealed. Curator: Indeed. X-radiography allows us to see beneath the surface, revealing the artist’s process, pentimenti, and construction techniques. This offers an insight into the labor of artmaking, which is often obscured. Editor: It also unveils vulnerability. We see the hidden supports, the potential weaknesses within the figure. It challenges the facade of power and authority often associated with such a figure. Curator: Absolutely. The image speaks to the politics inherent in display and preservation. How do we present history, and what do we choose to conceal or reveal? Editor: This process of looking beneath disrupts traditional narratives. It's a powerful reminder that history is never a fixed, singular truth but always a layered and complex construction. Curator: It pushes us to consider the material realities of artistic creation, and I think that’s invaluable. Editor: I agree. It's a critical intervention, a way to reclaim agency in how we understand art.