Untitled (boy in suit leaning against window frame; plant stand to his side) c. 1955

This photograph by Paul Gittings captures a boy in a suit, leaning against a window, a plant stand beside him. The dominant image here, however, is the web of cracks spreading throughout the image. This motif of fragmentation appears frequently in art history, often symbolizing the brokenness of the human condition. Consider the artistic renditions of the "Ecce Homo," where Christ is presented bound and suffering, his body a testament to human cruelty and the cracks in our moral fabric. Here, the network of cracks acts almost as a shroud over the boy, echoing themes of mortality and vulnerability. These cracks engage our subconscious, evoking deep-seated anxieties about decay and the ephemeral nature of life, a visual echo that resonates across centuries, reminding us of our shared fate.