Untitled (group portrait of large family with twenty people posed in front of fireplace) 1942

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, a group portrait of a large family. It's hard to put my finger on it, but the photograph has a surreal almost ghostly feel. What draws your eye in this piece? Curator: It feels like an apparition, doesn't it? The reversed tones amplify the formal stiffness typical of such portraits. But it’s more than that. Imagine this reversed palette as a secret language, whispering stories of identity, family, and the photographer's gaze. Editor: So, it is like the photo is holding onto some family secret? Curator: Precisely! The reversal transforms a mundane family gathering into an evocative exploration of memory and representation, inviting us to consider the layers beneath the surface. It sure does invite you in for a closer look. Editor: That certainly sheds a new light on family portraits. Thanks!