Untitled (portrait of older man wearing suit, in profile) after 1940

This is an undated photograph by Paul Gittings of an older man in a suit, rendered in monochrome shades. I can imagine Gittings considering light and shadow, the relationship between them, and where the man’s face would be cast in light. I wonder if the man was a stranger, or if Gittings knew him well? In either case, to make a portrait of a man, even in profile, is to engage with him, to observe him deeply, to let something of yourself seep in. Did the man have any expectations of how Gittings would portray him? As an artist, I know there's a lot of pressure to make the other person feel seen and feel beautiful. I imagine Gittings and the sitter had a rapport, a collaborative understanding that we can’t possibly know, but that becomes the basis of the work. In the end, this photograph transcends the individual and becomes a commentary on masculinity, class, and identity. It shows how every artist is in an ongoing conversation, inspiring one another’s creativity.