Untitled (young boy, baby, and dog seated on carpeted brick steps outdoors) after 1940

This black and white photograph by Paul Gittings captures a young boy, baby, and dog seated on carpeted brick steps outdoors. The dog is reminiscent of the "canis fidelis," the faithful dog, a symbol of loyalty and guardianship. In medieval and Renaissance art, dogs often accompanied noble figures, signifying their trustworthiness and vigilance. Think of the many portraits of noblewomen in the Renaissance accompanied by small dogs, emblems of marital fidelity and domestic virtue. The image evokes a sense of familial bond, a primal connection that transcends time, echoing images from antiquity, like depictions of the good shepherd. Here, the child embodies a nurturing spirit, a timeless emblem of guidance and protection that appears across cultures, resurfacing in new contexts while retaining its core emotional power.