Untitled (man posed holding two black dogs while sitting on couch next to bear statue) c. 1960

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have "Untitled (man posed holding two black dogs while sitting on couch next to bear statue)" by Martin Schweig. It's a gelatin silver print, measuring roughly 4 by 5 inches. Editor: My first thought is that it is unexpectedly intimate, especially considering the bear statue. It's a strange mix of vulnerability and staged opulence. Curator: It is interesting to consider how images like these circulated, given the context of photographic portraiture at the time and the sitter's choices of presentation. Editor: There's an implied power dynamic at play, considering the sitter’s dress and the dogs, and how that intersects with the artificiality of the staging—the bear almost feels like a prop. Curator: And one wonders how that interplay was read then, and what it tells us about identity and performance in a very different sociopolitical landscape. Editor: It leaves me contemplating the power of visual codes and how they shape narratives around masculinity.