X-radiograph(s) of "Assumption of the Virgin" 

Curator: Here we have an X-radiograph of "Assumption of the Virgin," a painting by an artist in the circle of Joachim Patinir, housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Whoa, it looks like a ghostly landscape of the unseen. All that wood grain and then these ethereal figures faintly emerging… It’s kind of beautiful in its own strange way. Curator: Radiography reveals not just the artist's process, but also the material support itself. Notice how the wood panel's structure influences what we see. The horizontal lines, the knots... Editor: It's like the painting is embedded in the bones of a tree. Makes you wonder about the life of that tree before it became a canvas for divine ascension. It's almost like the tree is ascending too. Curator: Exactly. Consider how this technique allows conservators to study the painting's condition and construction, and also to authenticate the work. This is more than just an image, it's a document. Editor: It's a peek behind the curtain, a chance to see what's normally hidden. It’s like the painting is whispering secrets about its own making and being. I find that pretty fascinating.