X-radiograph(s) of "Crossbowman (drawing)" c. 19 - 67

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of a drawing called "Crossbowman," attributed to Perugino, residing in the Harvard Art Museums. It's a rather ghostly image, isn't it? Editor: Indeed, it looks like a photographic negative—almost ethereal. The stark contrast and layered planes create a strange sense of depth. Curator: X-radiography in art conservation allows us to see beneath the surface, revealing hidden layers and the artist's process. Think of the implications for authentication! Editor: Fascinating. The visible strokes hint at a figure—the crossbowman perhaps—caught in a liminal space between intention and execution. The medium obscures as much as it reveals. Curator: This image makes us question the role of technology in art. Does it demystify, or offer a new way to consider artistic creation? Editor: Perhaps both. It invites us to look beyond the finished product and to appreciate the invisible process—the artist's hand, the materials themselves, the hidden narratives. Curator: A spectral glimpse into the past, revealing the material realities of art making. Editor: Yes, a ghostly dance between the visible and the invisible, technique and creation.