Untitled (woman leaning over baby in bassinet with large bow at top) after 1940

Paul Gittings’s black and white photograph captures a woman leaning over a baby in a bassinet. The large bow at the top of the bassinet draws the eye. This image reminds us that bows, often tied to mark or celebrate, have roots stretching far back. Consider the ribbons adorning ancient Roman statues, transforming ordinary figures into symbols of honor and festivity. In medieval art, bows could signify spiritual bonds, linking the earthly to the divine. This decorative knot evolves through time, transforming into symbols of betrothal, and, as seen here, of familial affection and the celebration of new life. The emotional weight of such imagery is heavy, invoking a deep, subconscious connection to earlier works that share these motifs. In each iteration, the bow captures our collective memory of the hopes, dreams, and connections that shape our shared human experience.