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

Curator: This is an untitled photographic portrait of a man wearing a coat and bowtie by Lucian and Mary Brown. It’s a gelatin silver print, quite small, only about 5 by 4 inches. Editor: It’s so stark, almost ghostly! The inverted tones give him an otherworldly presence. He looks like he's about to deliver some vital, if slightly ominous, news. Curator: The high contrast emphasizes the sitter's formal attire, the bow tie acting almost as a signifier for the social expectations of the time. There is a certain mid-century sensibility that is palpable here. Editor: Absolutely. And yet, it's more than just a period piece. There's something timeless about the human face, the way the eyes meet yours… unsettling, yet compelling. Curator: That direct gaze implicates us in the history of portraiture. Who are we to look, and what do we seek when we do? Editor: Precisely! And perhaps what does the man in the image wish to convey, knowing we are watching him? Curator: A question for us all, I suppose. Editor: Indeed.