Untitled (young woman sitting at mirror) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing, showing a young woman at a mirror. It feels like a scene from a play, but what do you see in it? Curator: It’s interesting how this image stages femininity and domesticity within what seems to be a public, even institutional, space. Does the theatricality suggest a critique of the roles women were expected to play? Editor: That's a great point! I hadn’t considered how the setting complicates the traditional image of women. Curator: Exactly! And consider the power dynamics implied by the surrounding figures. It speaks volumes about the social pressures shaping a woman's identity. Editor: This really makes me think about the politics embedded in seemingly simple images of women! Thanks for that.