Untitled (lily) c. 1892 - 1905

Curator: This is Sarah Choate Sears’ "Untitled (lily)," a beautiful early photographic study, its exact date currently unknown. Editor: What a moody print! It makes me think of late Victorian parlors, all shadowed corners and repressed desires. Curator: Sears, born in 1858, moved in artistic circles and became known for her photography and watercolors. The lily, of course, has strong associations with purity, but also with death. Editor: Exactly! It's as if the flower is simultaneously reaching for the light and sinking into the sepia tones. This is a flower caught in time. Curator: The composition feels very deliberate, a balance of light and shadow. It suggests the delicate equilibrium of life itself. Editor: I love how these botanical studies can reveal so much about the artist’s state of mind and the cultural mindset. Curator: Indeed, and Sears certainly leaves us with much to ponder. Editor: Yes, it’s much more than just a flower picture, isn’t it?