George Bartlett c. 1920

Curator: This silver print is a portrait of George Bartlett by John H. Garo. It measures about 42 by 35 centimeters and resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: He looks terribly distinguished! The fur, the monocle...there's a clear intent to project authority and importance. Curator: Garo was known for his portraits of Boston's elite. The soft focus and sepia tones were fashionable then, suggesting a certain artistic sensibility beyond mere documentation. Editor: Absolutely. The monocle is a powerful symbol; of learnedness, worldliness, even a detached, intellectual way of seeing. But beneath that, the eyes hint at vulnerability. Curator: Portraits like this reinforced social hierarchies. Garo was participating in a system where image-making contributed to the subject's status within his milieu. Editor: Indeed, the fur could suggest animalistic vigor! He wears that fur, and the man is clearly wearing the clothes, they are not wearing him. It speaks volumes about the cultural ideas of masculinity. Curator: It's fascinating how much these images reveal about the values of the time. Editor: It's also amazing how much of that symbolism persists in our own visual language today.