Untitled (portrait of man and three girls) c. 1950

Editor: This is "Untitled (portrait of man and three girls)" by Lucian and Mary Brown, its date is unknown. It's a small photograph. There's something eerie about it, perhaps because it's a negative. What symbols do you notice in it? Curator: Notice the repetition. Three girls, almost a visual echo, suggesting lineage and continuation. The man, possibly a father, is presented in the material symbols of the domestic space: a lamp, a table, a picture. He is the stable figure in this image. How do these symbols speak to societal roles or expectations? Editor: It's like the setting is a stage for a family portrait. The man is very present, almost fixed, while the girls look transient. Curator: Exactly! In family portraits the poses suggest status or position within the family. They become like secular icons. I wonder about the psychological dynamic that emerges from those choices. Editor: I didn't realize how much a simple family portrait could communicate! Thanks for that. Curator: My pleasure! It's always a thrill to decode the hidden language in images.