Untitled 

Haddon Hubbard Sundblom made this oil painting of a couple in a car, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. The painting is an interesting study in social relations: a well-dressed older man, with the trappings of wealth, is accompanied by a younger woman in a fur stole. Is this a business relationship or something more intimate? What does it say about the status of women that being well-kept and elegant might itself be a form of work? Of course, it’s difficult to say for sure, but the painting does offer a small window into the social conventions of its time. If we wanted to find out more about the image we could investigate similar images, either paintings, photographs or advertisements, and look for common elements. With some contextual research, we might find more clarity.