Untitled (people walking on snowy path) 1948

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums hold this evocative, though untitled, print by Lucian and Mary Brown, depicting people walking on a snowy path. Editor: It’s haunting. The inverted tones and stark contrasts give it an otherworldly quality, like figures in a dream. Curator: Dreams are apt. This photogram, meaning it's made without a camera, allows direct impression. They placed objects, perhaps even snow, onto photographic paper and exposed it to light. Editor: The bare trees reaching up – a symbol of resilience, perhaps? And the figures feel so small, almost ghostlike, walking into the unknown future. Curator: Or perhaps they represent the everyday people. The Browns focused on ordinary citizens, documenting life, not trying to aggrandize. Editor: Even without a concrete story, there is something primal here. The light and dark, the journey, the quiet solitude... it all resonates. Curator: Precisely! The Browns are reminding us that there is art in the everyday struggle. Editor: Yes, and maybe a chance to reflect on our own path too.