Untitled (portrait of girl wearing hair in two braids) c. 1950

Paul Gittings created this untitled gelatin silver print, a portrait of a girl with braided hair. The sepia tones and soft focus lend a dreamlike quality, almost nostalgic. The composition is structured around the contrast between the smooth, pale skin of the girl's face and arms, and the dark, textured braids. Her gaze is direct, yet her posture, with arms crossed on the table, suggests a certain reserve. The soft light blurs the boundaries, creating a sense of intimacy and vulnerability. This play of light and shadow, combined with the formal arrangement of lines and shapes, evokes a sense of timelessness. The photograph captures a moment of quiet contemplation, inviting us to reflect on the relationship between representation and perception. It destabilizes the conventional portrait, shifting away from capturing external likeness to suggesting interiority. The formal elements become a vehicle for exploring the transient and complex nature of identity.