Untitled (women in a line practicing can-can dance on stage) c. 1950

Curator: I find this petite, untitled image by Jack Gould, held here at the Harvard Art Museums, rather captivating. Editor: It's an unusual negative, isn't it? The dancers have a ghostly quality, almost like a forgotten dream. Curator: Indeed. Their can-can practice, frozen in this reversed tonality, creates a strange sense of detachment. Note the composition. The sharp lines of the architecture contrast with the curves of their bodies. Editor: The geometry is interesting, framing this energetic burst of movement. But it's also unsettling. What is that building in the background? Curator: A solid piece of design and architectural form. A fascinating juxtaposition, that captures an era of great change and, perhaps, a little chaos. Editor: It's certainly made me look at things sideways today, wondering what lurks behind familiar facades. Curator: A reminder that even the simplest image can hold unexpected depths.