Untitled (portrait of man sitting in chair) c. 1950

Editor: So, this is an intriguing Untitled portrait by Lucian and Mary Brown. The stark reversal of tones gives it an almost ghostly feel. What strikes you most about this image? Curator: It's that ghostly quality, you're right, which gives it a film noir vibe, that pulls me in. He seems to be contemplating something, doesn't he? Maybe the instability of identity itself, mirrored in the photographic negative. Editor: That's a cool take. The way he is dressed so formally, but seated so casually, gives that effect even more nuance. Curator: Precisely! It's like a memory fading, or a secret waiting to be revealed. Editor: Definitely food for thought, thanks!