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

This photograph, an untitled portrait by Paul Gittings, is a silver gelatin print. What strikes me first is its tonal range, from the deepest blacks to the softest grays. There’s such delicacy here. The profile is so sharp; it’s the kind of line you get from holding a steady breath. The artist has captured a stillness, but also the suggestion of something about to be released. The texture, which at first seems smooth, reveals subtle imperfections upon closer inspection; maybe the graininess of the film or slight variations in light. It’s these small details, these imperfections, that makes it so alive. The portrait feels like an echo of August Sander's typological portraits. Both were interested in capturing something essential about their subjects through the cool eye of the camera. It's like a quiet conversation across time, a shared fascination with the human condition.