Untitled (seven young children posed sitting in front of Christmas tree) 1961

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts seven children in front of a Christmas tree. Editor: Wow, it has a sort of unsettling, almost ghostly atmosphere, doesn't it? The high contrast and lack of mid-tones really amplify that feeling. Curator: The composition certainly contributes. The arrangement of the children, almost like a row of figures in a tableau, creates a sense of formality, heightened by their clothing. Editor: Right, and you have this cascade of shimmering tinsel behind them, but their expressions are so inscrutable. It almost feels staged, or maybe a bit haunting like the lighting has captured some hidden aspect. Curator: The image's formal qualities are compelling. The sharp contrast and the subjects' fixed gazes all contribute to a fascinating tension. Editor: It's strangely beautiful and unnerving. What begins as a seemingly simple scene of children at Christmas mutates into something far more complex.