Untitled (portrait of young man) c. 1950

Curator: This is an untitled portrait of a young man, attributed to Lucian and Mary Brown, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's an ethereal quality to this piece. It feels almost like a dream, rendered in monochrome. Curator: The negative print adds to that, I think. The reversed tones give it an otherworldly feel. Consider the social context, too. Photography like this offered accessibility but also control over representation. Editor: Definitely. And the sharp collar against the soft focus creates a striking contrast. I wonder about the young man's identity. His gaze is direct, but there's a sense of vulnerability. Was this intended as a formal portrait or something more intimate? Curator: That's precisely what I'm hoping future research will tell us. The Browns were active in a time of great social upheaval. It would be fascinating to know how their work intersected with the era's politics and identities. Editor: It really makes you think about who gets to be seen and how they're represented. I’m left pondering the politics of visibility, then and now.