Untitled (mother leaning over baby on couch, his foot on her chest) c. 1940

This photograph by Paul Gittings captures a mother leaning over her baby on a couch, his foot gently placed on her chest. This seemingly simple image is rich with symbolic weight. The act of a child placing a foot on a parent can be traced back through art history and into ancient folklore, representing a complex interplay of dependence, nascent power, and familial bonds. Consider the archaic image of the foot as a symbol of dominance, subtly referencing classical portrayals of heroes and gods. The baby’s gesture, innocent as it may be, echoes the motifs of authority and the generational transfer of power. We see reflections of this dynamic in Renaissance paintings, where similar gestures signified a family's lineage and future. The emotional resonance of this image lies in the tension between vulnerability and assertion. It's a moment of intimate connection charged with the subconscious understanding of human relationships, echoing through the ages in different forms, yet always rooted in the primal bonds of family.