Untitled (woman in riding clothes seated with legs crossed) c. 1929

This photographic image of a woman in riding clothes was created by Paul Gittings. The visual experience is dominated by the contrast between the stark white figure and the dark background. This dramatic chiaroscuro effect flattens the figure, turning her into a study of light and shadow. The composition is simple, yet the subject's pose, with legs crossed and a riding crop in hand, exudes an air of casual authority. The image destabilizes traditional portraiture through its manipulation of light, challenging conventional representations of form and space. It disrupts conventional semiotic expectations. The dark backdrop and stark lighting strip away context, leaving us with a figure defined by the formal elements of light and shadow. Ultimately, this photograph functions as part of a broader cultural discourse on representation and the challenges of fixed meanings.