[Lyonel Feininger sketching, Graal or Rügen, Baltic coast] 1905

Curator: Here we have Julia Feininger's photograph, "Lyonel Feininger sketching, Graal or Rügen, Baltic coast," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: What strikes me is how small this image is, barely larger than a postage stamp. It makes the act of photography feel so intimate, like a hidden observation. Curator: Absolutely. The photograph captures Lyonel Feininger, her husband, in the midst of creation. He is outside, sketching. The act is symbolic, immortalizing the artist immersed in the Baltic landscape. Editor: I find myself wondering about the camera she used. The stark contrast, the way it flattens the scene, suggests a simple, perhaps portable, apparatus. This could have been a very immediate, on-site recording. Curator: And that immediate recording captured more than just a portrait. Feininger’s image provides insight into the artistic process, a glimpse into the emotional resonance of place for the artist, as well as the relationship between husband and wife. Editor: Seeing this inverted palette, the negative space turned solid, alters my interpretation of the Feininger aesthetic, and makes me consider Julia's role in shaping the Feininger mythos. Curator: The symbols are layered, aren't they? It encourages us to think about memory, place, and artistic creation. Editor: It does. And it makes me reconsider the value we place on artistic materials and the labor involved.