Untitled (little girl seated on rocking rooster) after 1940

This photograph by Paul Gittings presents a young girl seated confidently atop a rocking rooster, a playful juxtaposition of innocence and symbolic potency. The rooster, an ancient symbol, heralds not only the dawn but also vigilance, courage, and even lust. Consider its presence in Roman mosaics, where it stood guard, or its association with masculinity in various cultures. Here, however, its virility is tempered by the child's innocent joy, suggesting a merging of primal energies with nascent understanding. The rocking motion itself evokes cyclical rhythms—the sun's daily journey, the seasons' turning, and, perhaps, the recurring motifs of human experience. What emerges is not a linear narrative, but a constellation of meanings that resonate deep within our collective memory. The image offers a poignant comment on the emotional and psychological forces that shape our perceptions, a visual echo of the past reverberating into the present.