Untitled (grandfather with baby) c. 1950

Curator: This is "Untitled (grandfather with baby)" by Lucian and Mary Brown. Its date is unknown and it is currently located at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s a striking image. The reversal of tones, the stark contrasts—it feels like a memory struggling to surface. Curator: Indeed. The negative space highlights a sense of passing time. The grandfather and child, classic archetypes, appear almost spectral. Editor: Archetypes, yes. The grandfather as protector, the baby as hope. But I also sense a fragility here, a vulnerability. It’s touching, yet unsettling. Curator: The image evokes the cyclical nature of life, the inherent impermanence. The window in the background is interesting because of the tree form and what it symbolizes. Editor: Ah, the tree! I see it now, a skeletal sentinel. It's as if the world outside is watching, waiting. This image is far more evocative than it initially appears. Curator: Images have that power. Editor: They certainly do.