Untitled (photograph of girl playing piano) c. 1940

Paul Gittings made this small, untitled photograph of a girl playing the piano sometime in the twentieth century. It's interesting to me as a painting because it seems to describe a scene with light and shade, as though the photograph is capturing the image in time, like a painter might. The photo is entirely rendered in shades of gray, and the photographic surface is highly textured which gives it a material presence. Look at the way the light falls on the piano keys, or how it illuminates the girl's dress. The soft focus of the image creates a sense of intimacy. The girl, small against the large piano, is hunched over as she practices, creating a sense of quiet reflection. The way Gittings manipulates light and shadow reminds me of Whistler’s tonalist paintings. Both artists play with mood and atmosphere, using a limited palette to evoke a particular emotional state. Art often echoes other art, building an extended conversation across generations and mediums.