X-radiograph(s) of "A Peasant Girl" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "A Peasant Girl," originally by Paul Gauguin. The Harvard Art Museums hold this revealing view. Editor: It's stark, almost ghostly. The white brushstrokes against the dark background create a fascinating texture. Curator: Indeed. The x-ray illuminates the layers beneath the visible surface, exposing the materiality of the painting itself. We see the density variations. Editor: Peasant girls often symbolize simplicity, a connection to the earth. Does this technical view alter our understanding of Gauguin's original intent? Curator: Perhaps. It removes the romanticized vision, showing us the physical act of creation, the artist's hand at work. Editor: It certainly makes one consider the hidden histories within a piece, those underlayers of meaning. Curator: Precisely, and the construction of images beyond their immediate appearance. Editor: Well, seeing through the surface gives new weight to Gauguin's process.