Untitled (portrait of little girl with lace on sleeves and collar of dress)v c. 1940

This photograph of a little girl with lace on the sleeves and collar of her dress was made by Paul Gittings sometime in the 20th century. Look at her, this ghost child, staring right back at you. I imagine Gittings behind the camera, coaxing her to stay still, the flash powder exploding, capturing this fleeting moment for posterity. What was she thinking? Was she happy to be wearing the lace? Does she even know the photo is still around? The photo's like a dark mirror, reflecting back at us not just an image, but also a question: what is a portrait anyway? I think of other portraitists like Alice Neel, digging deep into the soul, or maybe Fairfield Porter, capturing the everyday. Gittings’ picture sits in that company, somewhere between memory and dream. These artists are constantly in dialogue, I think, each pushing the boundaries of representation.