X-radiograph(s) of "Countess of Clanbrassil" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of the "Countess of Clanbrassil," originally by Anthony van Dyck, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's like a ghostly map, a woven grid holding secrets. All the labor involved in the canvas production is laid bare. Curator: Indeed, it's a kind of hidden portrait itself. The weave speaks to the status of the sitter, doesn't it? Van Dyck was a master of projecting social importance. Editor: The materials themselves project importance. The cost of the canvas, the pigments… all signifiers of wealth and power. Curator: Absolutely. It’s interesting to consider how this X-ray reveals the material underpinnings of such carefully constructed identity. Editor: Yes, it peels back the layers, revealing the bones beneath the finery. Curator: This has really given me a new way to view portraiture, considering the symbolic weight carried even within its unseen layers. Editor: For me, it's a reminder of all the invisible labor that upholds images of power.