Untitled (two women, man, and boy in white jumpsuit seated in living room by column) after 1940

Paul Gittings made this photograph of a family in an interior setting, but we don't know when. What can we learn from this image about the social dynamics it represents? The classical column at the left is a signifier of wealth. Likewise, the pearls worn by the women signal a degree of social standing. We might assume this is a wealthy family in the United States. Gittings was known for photographing wealthy people, and the institutions they supported. This image seems to perpetuate notions of class and generational status. To better understand this image, we might research the Gittings portrait studio and its clientele, considering also the role of family portraits in shaping social perceptions. What values are promoted when families invest in such commissions? And how do such images reflect, or deflect from, social realities? Art is never made in a vacuum.