Untitled (studio portrait of four women in matching dresses) after 1935

Paul Gittings made this gelatin silver print of four women in matching dresses. It is a studio portrait, but it makes me think of a painting, maybe because I see its abstract qualities first. I imagine Gittings focusing on lighting, the way the light hits the satin dresses. The dresses remind me of the costumes worn by singing groups in the 1940s. There is an element of artifice that makes me think that maybe this is about performance. I’m struck by the women’s expressions and poses. Are they sisters? Are they friends? The woman at the front is looking down; the other three are looking in different directions, away from the viewer. There's an odd tension, like they're together, but each lost in thought. I wonder what Gittings was thinking when he made this picture. Was he trying to capture a specific moment, or was he more interested in the overall composition? I love the idea that this could be connected to so many works that consider the female gaze.