Untitled (portrait of two girls in matching dresses sitting on bench next to Christmas mantel) 1936

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It captures two young girls in matching dresses. Editor: It’s quite striking! The negative image lends a ghostly, almost ethereal quality to the scene. Curator: Precisely, and this reversal is key to understanding the process. The materials used—the film, the development chemicals—are all part of the statement. The social context, the labor involved in creating such a family portrait… Editor: While that’s interesting, the composition itself is quite formal. The symmetry of the girls mirrored by the tree and mantle piece creates a visually arresting whole. Curator: Perhaps, but I'm drawn to the uniformity in dress. It speaks volumes about the construction of childhood in the time. Editor: Ultimately, it’s the interplay of light and shadow, the very starkness, that really captivates me. Curator: A compelling intersection of the personal and the technical indeed. Editor: Definitely, a powerful image that resonates on multiple levels.