[African American Family at Gee's Bend, Alabama] 1937

Curator: This photograph by Arthur Rothstein, simply titled “[African American Family at Gee's Bend, Alabama],” was captured in 1937. It's a gelatin silver print now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What's your first take? Editor: The stillness of the composition is striking. It feels like a solemn stage where the actors have been posed to create a symbol rather than document an event. Curator: Precisely. Gee's Bend, now known as Boykin, Alabama, was and remains an isolated, historically Black community. Rothstein’s photograph encapsulates the themes of resilience and the endurance of Black families in the face of systemic oppression during the Depression era. We cannot ignore that Rothstein worked for the Farm Security Administration; his photographs were used to gain support for federal programs. The images aren’t neutral; they carry significant social and political weight. Editor: Agreed, there is that narrative layer, but I am drawn to how the faces, the house, and even the old tree, combine to express a symbolic unity of family, home, and history. Notice how most figures gaze directly at the viewer. Their eyes possess a sense of timelessness. Rothstein evokes classical portraiture conventions while recording the material realities of this time and place. What stands out is the repeated emphasis of simple gestures and postures: the turned feet, folded arms, and hands. Even in such difficult conditions, they appear like silent affirmations. Curator: The image’s power comes from its engagement with Social Realism, framing everyday lives within a critical perspective on poverty and labor. However, it moves beyond a mere documentation to allow the individuals to reclaim the narratives of their time. Editor: It seems Rothstein aimed to capture more than just the scene; he caught the soul. And how can one forget the title of this gelatin print? It offers an anchor in specificity. Curator: Absolutely. This is an invaluable reminder that artistic expression doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and artworks of any genre become crucial when they are interpreted from all sides. Editor: True. The artwork serves as an open question that needs us to continue thinking about the past by revisiting both its meanings and symbolic resonances.