Untitled (bust length portrait of clean shaven man labeled Charles Gaston Smith) 1886 - 1887

Curator: Here we have an untitled portrait, attributed to the Pach Brothers. It depicts a man identified as Charles Gaston Smith. Editor: The sepia tones and the crispness of the image give it an austere yet intimate quality. Curator: Indeed. The photograph's format, a mounted print of modest dimensions, speaks to its origins as a commercial product of late 19th or early 20th century portraiture. Editor: The Pach Brothers were known for their studio work. Looking at the textures – the matte surface of the print itself and the way light plays on the man's suit – one thinks about the physical labor involved in making these images. Curator: The subject's gaze, slightly averted, lends itself to speculation about the narrative implied by his pose. The composition is quite classic. Editor: It highlights the process, the studio, the choices made. It's a simple image, yet filled with information about its time. Curator: Precisely, a confluence of material and form. Editor: I appreciate how it connects us to that period.