Untitled (young woman standing for portrait in studio) c. 1940

Curator: This is an intriguing photographic negative, titled "Untitled (young woman standing for portrait in studio)," created by John Deusing. It’s part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It feels like a dream, or perhaps a half-remembered memory. The woman's pose is so formal, yet the image itself is anything but. It plays with light and shadow in a ghostly way. Curator: The basket of flowers certainly adds to the air of sentimentality, doesn't it? Flowers often symbolize fleeting beauty and the passage of time. Editor: Yes, and the backdrop—the faux garden and architectural detail—speaks to a longing for something beyond the confines of the studio. It's a theatrical construct, a space of self-presentation. Perhaps the woman is an actress? Curator: Or perhaps she simply wanted to be seen as someone more than what was expected of her. Portraits have always been about creating an ideal. Editor: The way the negative renders light gives her an almost ethereal quality. It’s as if she is both present and absent, a ghost in her own life. Curator: It makes you wonder about her story, doesn’t it? A story we can never fully know, but one that is etched, however faintly, onto this photographic plate. Editor: Absolutely. It's a poignant reminder of how much is lost to time, yet how much remains, shimmering beneath the surface.