X-radiograph(s) of "Madonna and Child" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Madonna and Child," attributed to Bernardino Luini, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It’s an unusual perspective. Editor: It’s ghostly, like an echo of the original painting. I’m drawn to the almost forensic process; it reveals hidden aspects of materiality. Curator: Precisely. The original painting likely reflects the religious and social structures of its time, where depictions of motherhood and divinity served specific ideological functions. This X-ray strips that away, revealing just form. Editor: And that form is determined by the materials—the density of the pigments, the support structure. It begs the question: what labor went into preparing these materials, layering these paints? Curator: It raises so many questions about hidden narratives, about the societal forces acting on even sacred images. Editor: Absolutely, seeing the layers of the painting through the X-ray is like excavating layers of social history. Curator: Exactly. It offers us different insights into the original painting. Editor: A unique look indeed.