Untitled (portrait of man wearing coat and bowtie) c. 1950

Curator: This is an untitled photographic portrait by Lucian and Mary Brown, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. What’s your initial take? Editor: It's unsettling, this negative image. The man's gaze feels oddly intense, amplified by the stark contrast. Curator: The reversal creates a fascinating interplay of light and shadow. Notice how the subject's formal attire—the coat and bowtie—is thrown into sharp relief. It invites contemplation of social roles. Editor: Absolutely, and how this starkness affects the viewer. Photography in this era was often used for documentation, yet here it becomes something more probing about identity in the public sphere. Curator: Precisely. The photographic reversal reframes how we are meant to see a formal portrait. Editor: It's a clever disruption. I leave with more questions than answers about the subject and the image itself. Curator: Yes, a thought-provoking piece about the art of seeing and understanding photographic portraiture.