Untitled (man looking for books in narrow passageway) 1950

Curator: Here we have "Untitled (man looking for books in narrow passageway)" by Jack Gould, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: Wow, it feels like stepping into a forgotten corner of someone's mind. All those books… I get a touch of claustrophobia just looking at it. Curator: It's the compression of space, isn't it? The narrow passageway emphasizes the individual's pursuit of knowledge within what feels like a very constrained system. Editor: Makes me think about all the stories contained there—and the ones we never get to read. It’s a bit melancholic, don't you think? Like being lost, but in a good way. Curator: I agree. It certainly speaks to the quiet, almost monastic dedication to books. It's a potent image of intellectual labor. Editor: I'll be wandering that passageway in my mind for a while, I think. Makes you appreciate a good story.