Untitled (couple posed looking at baby while sitting in front of Christmas tree) 1962

Curator: Here we have an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It depicts a couple with their baby in front of a Christmas tree. Editor: It feels…inverted, doesn’t it? Like a dream, slightly unsettling but also cozy, with that huge tree looming in the background. Curator: The image is a photographic negative. Looking at it through that lens really reframes the traditional family portrait. What do you think the context of such a piece might be? Editor: Maybe it is a subtle commentary on the darker sides of family expectations, or the hidden anxieties beneath the surface of festive cheer? Or a look at the other side? Curator: It’s fascinating how Schweig uses this familiar scene to explore the complex relationship between public image and private reality. It also makes us think about the artist's decisions. Editor: Yes, like a ghostly glimpse of a Christmas past, filtered through the lens of a photographer's unique perspective.