Untitled (sheep wandering around on hillside, crossing river) c. 1950

Editor: This intriguing, small-scale, untitled photo by Jack Gould depicts sheep near a river, but the negative format gives it an ethereal mood. What cultural echoes do you hear when you view this work? Curator: The inverted tones certainly lend a dreamlike quality. Consider the sheep— historically, they represent innocence, docility, and even sacrifice in various religious traditions. Is the river a boundary, a baptismal font, or a path to the unknown? What does it mean that they cross it? Editor: So, beyond just seeing sheep, we're looking at symbols loaded with centuries of meaning. It makes the image much more complex. Curator: Precisely. Art invites us to decode these symbols, revealing layers of cultural memory embedded within seemingly simple scenes. It is a powerful device that stays with you.