X-radiographs as art

The Sunday October 2, 2011 arts section of the New York Times reproduces four photographs of x-radiographs that David Maisel took during a residency at the Getty Research Institute. The photos, part of a project entitled “History’s Shadow”, were produced by a process that involved manipulation of the tones and colors, and are presented as works of art in themselves rather than as aids to understanding the works that were x-rayed. They are quite beautiful and may inspire conservators to look with different eyes at the x-radiographs they encounter in their work.