X-radiograph(s) of "Portrait of a Man" 

Curator: This is an x-radiograph of "Portrait of a Man," believed to be by William Sidney Mount, currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's ghostly! The weave of the canvas is so prominent, almost like a shroud. Curator: The x-ray reveals the underpainting, the artist's initial compositional choices beneath the visible layers. Notice the density of the pigment in certain areas. Editor: It makes me consider the layers of labor involved - from weaving the canvas to grinding pigments, to the physical act of painting itself. Curator: Indeed, it transcends the final image, offering insight into the creative process. We see not just the portrait, but the artist's hand, their hesitations and revisions. Editor: In a way, it's more revealing than the completed work, stripping away the aesthetic to show the bare bones of creation. Curator: Yes, the unseen becomes the seen, and the act of observing shifts our understanding entirely. Editor: Looking at it this way, it’s like witnessing art’s own archaeological dig, going beneath the surface.