Untitled (studio portrait of woman in riding outfit) c. 1929

Here we see an undated studio portrait of a woman in a riding outfit, made by Paul Gittings. The image provides a glimpse into a world where class and gender intersect. Portraits like these were usually reserved for the upper classes. The riding outfit is not just clothing; it is a statement of wealth and social standing. To ride horses, to engage in equestrian sports, was largely the domain of the privileged. The woman’s gaze directs up and away, signifying perhaps aspirations, dreams, or a quiet defiance of the limits imposed upon her. The softness of the image lends the sitter an ethereal quality, as if momentarily suspended between her lived reality and an idealized version of self. This is more than just a portrait. It is an encoding of identity, aspiration, and the complex negotiations of gender and class within a particular historical frame.