Untitled (two portraits of a little girl with headband) c. 1940

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing, showing a double portrait of a little girl. It has a ghostly feel because it's a negative. What formal elements stand out to you? Curator: The composition strikes me first. The doubling effect, achieved via the negative process, creates a subtle mirroring and division. Notice how the dark headband firmly segments the upper register of each portrait. Editor: Yes, that’s interesting! The texture seems soft, almost blurred. Curator: Indeed. Consider the tonal range. The limited grays enhance the interplay of light and shadow, abstracting the figure and emphasizing shape over mimetic representation. What does this abstraction achieve, do you think? Editor: I see what you mean. It makes the image more about form and less about the specific girl. Curator: Precisely. Focusing on the formal aspects reveals how much the process itself shapes our perception. Editor: I learned so much about how the artist creates these effects.