Untitled (woman with two children, feeding with bottle) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Howell, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, depicting a woman feeding a baby with a bottle while another child looks on. The inverted tones give it a slightly ghostly, yet intimate feel. What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: The high contrast, almost like an X-ray of domesticity, transforms the mundane into something ethereal. It’s a scene of nurturing, but filtered through an almost scientific lens. Does the reversal make you question its truthfulness? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn’t thought about the truth aspect. It makes me wonder about what Howell was trying to convey. Curator: Exactly! The image dances between a tender tableau and a stark, clinical observation. Maybe it's a statement about the dual nature of motherhood itself, both deeply personal and universally experienced. A question posed, not answered. Editor: This has definitely given me a new perspective on family portraits. Curator: And that's the beauty of art, isn't it? It invites us to see the world anew.