X-radiograph(s) of "Landscape" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Landscape," after Adriaen Hendriksz Verboom, taken here at the Harvard Art Museums. The film measures 14 by 17 inches. Editor: It appears like an abstract composition, the ghostly image alluding to textures and forms hidden beneath the surface. I'm struck by the idea of revealing what's normally invisible. Curator: Indeed, the X-ray reveals the density and application of paint. We see brushstrokes and perhaps areas of impasto, exposing Verboom's artistic process, and the materiality of the work. Editor: Absolutely. Consider the labor involved in preparing the canvas, layering the paint—an indirect gaze at the artist's hand, and the unseen construction of art history itself. It speaks of the science we use to understand the object. Curator: It transforms our understanding of representation. The landscape is no longer simply a scene, but a complex interaction of materials, technique, and the artist's vision, laid bare by technology. Editor: It's a powerful reminder that art isn't just about the final image, but about the means of its production and our persistent curiosity about it.