Untitled (woman giving bath to baby) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have an intriguing, undated photograph titled "Untitled (woman giving bath to baby)," credited to Lucian and Mary Brown, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's haunting. The high contrast and shallow depth of field draw me to the baby’s stark, unwavering gaze. Curator: The domestic scene contrasts sharply with the unsettling aesthetic. The photographic manipulation might reflect anxieties around motherhood in a changing social landscape. Editor: Yes, and the doll itself, rendered so starkly, takes on the archetypal symbolism of vulnerability but also a kind of uncanny knowing. It echoes anxieties found in the gothic. Curator: The Browns' collaborative approach likely informed its unique visual tension, reflecting both personal and societal perspectives. Editor: Precisely. It's fascinating how a seemingly simple domestic moment can be infused with such potent symbolic weight.