X-radiograph(s) of "Marchessa Guadagni and her Son" 

Curator: Before us, we have an X-radiograph of "Marchessa Guadagni and her Son," after Justus Suttermans. The film measures 14 by 17 inches. Editor: It's spectral. I immediately think about the labor and process behind revealing what's underneath the surface, literally. Curator: Precisely. The composition's stark contrasts expose the underlayers and structure, the artistic choices hidden beneath the visible image. Editor: It really makes me consider the unseen labor, the materiality of the pigments, canvas, and then the radiographic process itself. How many hands touched this artwork? Curator: It transforms our perception of a traditional portrait, doesn't it? Revealing a new kind of visual language. Editor: It certainly pushes us to consider artmaking in a new, more tangible way.