Untitled (portrait of couple looking at dog looking back) c. 1940

Paul Gittings made this photograph, of unknown date, of a smartly dressed couple looking at a dog. It’s the kind of carefully posed studio shot that used to be a mainstay of family portraiture. The image provides a window onto the social conventions of its time. The sitters are concerned to present themselves as affluent and respectable. But the photograph is also interesting for the way it plays with the conventions of portraiture. The subjects are looking at the dog, but the dog is looking back at us. This reversal of the usual dynamic invites the viewer to reflect on the act of looking itself. What does it mean to be the object of someone's gaze? How do we perform our identities for the camera? To understand this image better, we might research the history of portrait photography, the social history of pet ownership, or the work of the photographer. Each of these disciplines helps us to appreciate the complex interplay of social forces that shape our understanding of art.