Untitled (Eugenie Stoll Ragan) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have Phyllis Moore Stoll's "Untitled (Eugenie Stoll Ragan)," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It's roughly 10 by 8 inches. Editor: It looks like a photographic negative, which gives it this eerie, spectral quality. I'm curious about the dress and the backdrop. Curator: The portrait within a portrait creates an interesting dialogue between historical representation and the individual sitter. The dress looks incredibly heavy. Editor: The material almost seems to defy gravity. It makes you wonder about the labor involved in creating such a garment, and the social expectations surrounding the wearing of such attire. Curator: It speaks to the culture of debutante portraiture, these symbols of status and class, but the photographic medium adds an interesting layer of accessibility. Editor: Definitely, and the negative space enhances that tension. It reminds us that representation is always constructed, always mediated through a particular process. Curator: It's fascinating how Stoll uses the camera to both perpetuate and, perhaps subtly, question those traditions. Editor: It leaves you contemplating the weight of both material and history.