Untitled (woman with large hat) c. 1910

Editor: Here we have Martin Schweig's "Untitled (woman with large hat)," a photograph housed here at Harvard Art Museums. The ornate details in the woman's dress are incredible. What's your read on this, thinking about its materiality and creation? Curator: I'm drawn to the opulent fabrics and embellishments. Consider the labor involved in producing such garments. This image serves as a material record, reflecting the consumer culture of the time. The photograph itself, as a manufactured object, participates in that cycle of production and consumption. Editor: So, it's less about the woman and more about what her image represents in terms of production and consumption? Curator: Exactly. The photograph, like the hat and dress, becomes a commodity itself. It's all interconnected. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Looking at art through the lens of its production definitely changes the way we see it.