Untitled (woman leaning over baby lying in bassinet) c. 1940

This photograph by Paul Gittings captures a woman leaning over a baby in a bassinet, an image echoing centuries of Madonna and Child depictions. The tender gesture of the mother figure, reaching out to the infant, is reminiscent of countless Renaissance paintings where Mary cradles the Christ Child. Consider the many iterations of this motif: the protective embrace, the gentle gaze, all conveying a sense of profound love and vulnerability. Yet, here, the stark photographic negative transforms this familiar scene. The figures are cast in ghostly white, altering the emotional tone. The maternal image taps into our collective memory, evoking primal emotions tied to nurturing and protection. Like the figures in a dream, it resurfaces, charged with layers of cultural meaning, a testament to the enduring power of archetypes.