X-radiograph(s) of "Feast of bacchus or of the Gods"

Editor: This is an X-radiograph of “Feast of Bacchus or of the Gods” by Giovanni Bellini. It’s fascinating to see beneath the surface! What do you see in the layers of imagery revealed here? Curator: The X-ray unveils a hidden narrative. Consider how the figures, archetypes of myth, become ghostlike, their symbolic weight shifting. The feast, a symbol of earthly pleasure, transforms into something ethereal, a cultural memory fading, yet still present. Editor: So, the symbolism remains even when the image is altered by the X-ray? Curator: Precisely. The act of revealing, even through scientific means, adds another layer to the iconography. What does that say about our need to understand, to penetrate the surface, of both art and history? Editor: That’s a great point. I hadn’t thought about the implications of looking *under* the art like that.