Untitled (portrait of woman in dress with puffy sleeves) after 1940

This striking, undated photograph by Paul Gittings at the Harvard Art Museums captures a woman adorned with grand, puffed sleeves, echoing an age of aristocratic elegance. The puffed sleeve, a symbol of high status, inflates its wearer's presence, reminiscent of the flamboyant ruffs of the Elizabethan era. Consider how this motif resurfaces centuries later. Look at the portraits of women in the Renaissance, their gowns boasting sleeves that swell with air, creating an aura of abundance and power. This sartorial statement transcends mere fashion, acting as a cultural artifact, a visual echo resonating across time. The psychological resonance of such imagery is undeniable. The exaggerated form speaks to an innate desire for self-aggrandizement, a subconscious assertion of status and influence. This visual inflation, though outwardly superficial, touches upon deep-seated human drives, reminding us of the cyclical nature of status symbols, forever returning, reinvented, in the theater of human expression.