Untitled (portrait of woman in hat with black veil, looking left) after 1940

This black and white portrait of a woman in a hat and veil was made by Paul Gittings, using photographic methods. Look at the veil, how it delicately obscures, and yet reveals, the subject’s face. The dark netting dances with embroidered details, creating a sense of depth. It is like a drawing in space, a kind of soft, sculptural form that contrasts with the sharp lines of her hat and the brooch that adorns her shirt. The interplay of light and shadow across the woman's face creates an intense, intimate emotional space. I’m reminded of the portraiture of someone like Man Ray, another great photographer. Both artists create images that are about beauty, but also about a certain kind of constructed, stylized vision, about how to capture someone's essence in an ephemeral moment. There is an element of ambiguity here, inviting us to project our own stories and feelings onto the subject.