Untitled (two couples in formalwear, studio portrait) c. 1940

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing, held in the Harvard Art Museums. It presents two couples in formal wear, in what seems to be a studio setting. What's your initial read? Editor: It feels like a dream. The reversed tones, the formality, it all coalesces into this ethereal, slightly unsettling image. Are they ghosts, or just caught between worlds? Curator: The image's ambiguity is intriguing. Without a date, it's hard to pin down the social context, but the formal attire suggests a staged portrait, reflecting perhaps aspirations of elegance and belonging in a particular era. Editor: Or perhaps a commentary on those aspirations. The inversion of light and dark throws the performance of class and race into sharp relief. It asks us, I think, to question what we assume when we see images like this. Curator: Absolutely, the visual strategies employed here are significant. By disrupting conventional photographic representation, Deusing opens up space for a more critical engagement with the image. Editor: It's a piece that lingers in the mind, challenging the notion of photographic truth and reminding us that every image is constructed. Curator: A potent reminder indeed, and one that I think shifts our view of historical portraiture.