Untitled (woman in long black flowered dress standing in front of credenza and painting) after 1940

This photograph by Paul Gittings captures a woman adorned in a long, flowered dress, set against the backdrop of a credenza and painting. The floral motif, so prominently featured in her dress, connects us to a deeper, almost primeval veneration of nature’s beauty and fecundity. Consider how Botticelli, in his Primavera, cloaked Flora in a dress of flowers, symbolizing renewal. Now, observe the garland that is clipped to the lady's chest in this photograph; we are faced with a gesture of offering, of abundance, much like the cornucopia in ancient Roman art. The woman is making a display, a statement of growth, beauty, and life force. The presence of the garland reminds us of a classical deity while the floral motifs of the dress create a connection to natural cycles and to notions of femininity that have persisted across time. We can see how, like an ancient memory, these symbols carry emotional and psychological weight, and resurface, echoing through the ages.