X-radiograph(s) of "Cherubs" 

Curator: This is an X-radiograph of "Cherubs," attributed to Peter Pelham. The image's stark contrasts immediately evoke a sense of fragility. Editor: Indeed. One sees the ethereal forms of cherubs emerging from what seems like a damaged canvas, hinting at vulnerability. How does this relate to colonial narratives, considering Pelham's role? Curator: The X-ray reveals the painting's physical structure, its underlying composition and the material history – revealing its age and perhaps previous restoration attempts. Editor: It’s tempting to read into the damage, perhaps as a metaphor for the exploitation inherent in colonial artistic production, with Pelham being an engraver in colonial Boston. What does it mean to image cherubs within this history? Curator: Such interpretations add layers, but the stark formal qualities—the textures, the contrasting blacks and whites—speak to a deeper, material reality. Editor: It definitely complicates any easy reading of innocence or divine grace. The damage is telling. Curator: Precisely, so seeing this as an X-ray exposes that history quite literally. Editor: I find this to be such a potent reminder that art exists within layers of historical and political contexts.