X-radiograph(s) of "Countess de la Fard" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Countess de la Fard," originally by Cornelis Vos. What strikes you about it? Editor: It feels ghostly, almost like a veiled memory. The texture is fascinating, a grid laid over the subject's face. Curator: Exactly, the X-ray reveals the underpainting and structure, offering insights into Vos's process and materials. It also makes me consider the power dynamics inherent in portraiture. Editor: How so? Curator: Well, consider how the countess was presented versus how we can analyze the image now. Who has the power to define representation, then and now? Does this radiography subvert that power? Editor: That's a compelling point. It exposes, quite literally, the layers of construction behind the image and its reception in art history. Curator: A way to reflect on art's evolving role, wouldn't you say? Editor: I think so. Thanks to imaging technologies, we can ask new questions about the history of art.