Untitled (dog on table, in bowl) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have an untitled work by Jack Gould, a diminutive photographic print measuring just 6x6 centimeters, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It's startling—the inverted tones create a ghostly tableau of a dog, perched somehow in a vase. The lighting is very dramatic, giving it an otherworldly feel. Curator: The composition emphasizes the geometric forms; the circular base of the table, the ovoid vase, and the dog's head, creating a structured, almost architectural feel. Editor: Dogs often symbolize fidelity. Here, encased in glass, is that loyalty fragile or preserved? The inverted colours hint at the uncanny. Curator: The tonal inversion reframes our understanding. The usual hierarchy of light and shadow is overturned, unsettling the visual logic. Editor: It’s a simple scene made powerfully strange, inviting us to consider pets, preservation, and perhaps even the afterlife. Curator: Indeed. A fascinating meditation on form and the photographic medium itself. Editor: Yes, a small window into a big, philosophical question.