Untitled (baby on table looking into mirrror) c. 1950

Curator: This intriguing, untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown features a baby gazing into a mirror. Its small scale, just 10 by 12 centimeters, adds to its intimacy. Editor: The composition is striking; the stark tonality and the direct gaze of the child create a surprisingly unsettling effect. Curator: Absolutely. Considering the social context, the image resonates with psychoanalytic ideas around the ‘mirror stage,’ revealing the baby’s nascent self-recognition, shaped by societal expectations and identity. Editor: From a purely formal perspective, the mirroring effect fractures our sense of depth. The doubling complicates the narrative. Curator: And the hand in the corner? It makes you question who is watching whom, playing into the power dynamics of photography. Editor: It is a moment captured, however ambiguous its meaning. Curator: It provides a lot to think about regarding the power of the gaze and the construction of identity. Editor: Yes, a complex image, small but potent.