Untitled (portrait of a young woman wearing veil) c. 1940

Paul Gittings made this photographic negative, 'Untitled (portrait of a young woman wearing veil)', in the United States. In the mid-twentieth century, portrait photography occupied an interesting position. It was an accessible commercial enterprise, but also one with aspirations to the status of high art. Gittings, a Texan who established studios across the South, was known for these kinds of society portraits. This image gives us a sense of the kind of idealized femininity that was celebrated in mainstream American culture at the time. The photographic negative process has created a high-contrast image. Light areas are now dark and dark areas light. The dark veil against the light face creates a somewhat haunting effect. To better understand Gittings' place within the institutions of American portraiture, we might want to look at periodicals of the time, studio publicity materials, and the archives of photography associations.