Untitled (portrait of woman in floral dress, laced hat, and fur trimmed cuffs leaning on elbows and holding hanky) after 1940

This photograph, whose date is unknown, by Paul Gittings, uses light and shadow to model the subject's features and clothing. You could say the same of a painting of course. The way it captures detail reminds me of the kind of hyperrealist painters who can make anything look like a photograph. The contrast between the soft fur cuffs and the sharp, angular lines of her hat is striking. There’s so much texture, from the floral print of her dress to the delicate lace. These elements combine to create a world that’s both opulent and intimate. Look at the way the light catches the fur around her wrists, almost blurring the edges. It gives the image a kind of depth and movement that invites you to look again and again, just like a great painting by someone like Gerhard Richter. What do you see?