Untitled (baby drinking glass of water) c. 1950

Curator: This is an intriguing photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, titled "Untitled (baby drinking glass of water)," held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's small but striking. The negative image gives it an ethereal quality, like a dream. The stark contrast makes the subject stand out. Curator: The act of drinking is often used as a symbol of cleansing or renewal. Here, the baby drinking water may be representative of innocence and purity. The inversion further emphasizes the distortion of the natural world, like looking into a mirror that reflects an opposite reality. Editor: I'm drawn to the material process. The photographic negative itself is the raw material. The labour involved in developing and printing this image, the darkroom alchemy, feels almost sculptural. Curator: It's a fascinating interplay of everyday life and symbolic representation. Editor: Absolutely, and seeing the process so directly informs how we understand the final image.