Untitled (portrait of couple standing in living room in front of curtained window) c. 1940

This black and white photograph of a couple, standing in what appears to be a living room, was taken by Paul Gittings. The composition is dominated by the contrast between the solid forms of the couple and the soft, flowing lines of the curtain behind them. The figures are positioned centrally, their formal attire suggesting a posed portrait. However, the tonal inversion of the photographic negative renders their skin unnervingly bright, destabilizing the conventional reading of portraiture. The curtain, with its vertical folds and layered texture, introduces a sense of depth and complexity, acting almost as a semi-transparent screen between the subjects and the outside world. Gittings plays with light and shadow to create a visually arresting image. The formal tension between the stark realism of the figures and the ethereal quality of the light invites us to reconsider the power dynamics and constructed nature of photographic representation. The ambiguity of the setting and the subjects' expressions further contribute to the photograph's unsettling yet captivating presence.