Untitled (two little girls in matching dresses with crossed legs, one with arm around the other) after 1940

This photograph by Paul Gittings captures two young girls in matching dresses, their legs crossed demurely. The innocent embrace, the one child's arm draped protectively around the other, evokes an age-old theme: sisterhood, a bond of shared experience. The motif of crossed legs appears throughout art history, often signifying modesty, introspection, or a contained energy. Consider its appearance in depictions of Venus Pudica, where it represents female virtue. Yet, here, the context shifts. It is not the guardedness of adulthood but rather a childish mimicry of the adult world. This gesture, typically associated with restraint, becomes an emblem of their shared identity. The act of one sister embracing the other, like a miniature Madonna and child, conjures the archetype of maternal love. This seemingly simple photograph resonates deeply because it touches on our collective memory of childhood bonds, of protection, and shared identity. These symbols are powerful forces engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. And so, the image transcends its immediate subject, becoming a timeless representation of kinship and shared experience.