Portrait of a Couple c. 1910

This is a silver gelatin print, “Portrait of a Couple,” by an anonymous photographer. It’s like peeking into someone's dream, or maybe a vaudeville act. The monochrome palette feels theatrical and a bit surreal. What grabs me is the painted backdrop. The artist clearly embraced the physicality of the medium. Those stars, dabbed onto the painted sky, feel so immediate. And the moon’s face with its wide grin, it’s almost cartoonish, but with a touch of melancholy. It's as if the backdrop artist is poking fun at the idea of romance and aspiration. That shooting star, a smear of white ending in a point, adds another layer. Is it a symbol of fleeting fame, or just a playful jab at the couple’s aspirations? Maybe this piece reminds me a bit of work by artists like Mike Kelley. They both play with folk sensibilities, and a kind of naive charm, creating something that is simultaneously heartfelt and ironic. Ultimately, this photograph refuses to be pinned down, existing in the space between fantasy and everyday life.