On the Bridge—Chioggia, 1887, printed 1897

Key Set Entry

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Remarks

In 1887, Stieglitz and Louis Schubart (Stieglitz’s future brother-in-law and an amateur photographer) and the American artist Frank Simon (“Sime”) Herrmann traveled to Chioggia, a town twenty miles south of Venice. This photograph and Key Set numbers 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44 were all made on this trip. Describing Chioggia as “hardly more than a village, a sort of miniature Venice, consisting, like the latter, of very narrow streets, canals, and numberless bridges,” Stieglitz wrote, “Passing out of these dark alleys, we came to the chief canal of the place, and as we approached a bridge to cross it, we noticed a crowd of people who seemed unusually excited. Imagine our surprise to see our Munich friend [Frank Herrmann] in the midst of the crowd, vociferously gesticulating, and showing unmistakable signs of anxiety. . . . He tried to cover his embarrassment by assuring us that his object was simply to offer us an opportunity to photograph the bridge after the style of Passini. We had a good hearty laugh at him, but took the picture, the idea having been an excellent one” (see Alfred Stieglitz, “A Day in Chioggia,” The Amateur Photographer 9, prize tour number [June 1889], 7–9).

This is a view of the Ponte Cucagna in Chioggia.

This photograph was made using a Stegemann camera with a Steinheil Aplanat 19-inch lens and a Vogel-Obernetter plate. The negative was developed with oxalate, pyrosoda, hydroquinone, and eikonogen (see exh. cats., Berlin, 1889, and Society of Amateur Photographers, New York, 1891).

Stieglitz Collections

A corresponding print was given to the following institution(s) by Alfred Stieglitz during his lifetime, or was received or acquired from the estate:

George Eastman Museum, Rochester, 83:0660:0006 [lantern slide]

Other Collections

A print corresponding with this photograph can also be found in the following collection(s):

The Museum of Modern Art, New York, study collection [albumen] (inscribed: Studien nach der Natur von / Alfred Stieglitz)

Lifetime Exhibitions

A print from the same negative—perhaps a photograph from the Gallery’s collection—appeared in the following exhibition(s) during Alfred Stieglitz’s lifetime:

possibly 1888, Vienna (no. 52.b.3, as Chioggia)
1889, Berlin (no. 81.13, as Chioggia [bei Venedig])
possibly 1891, New York (no. 241, as Chioggia, aristotype)
1934, New York (no. 2, as Chioggia, 1887)

Lifetime Publications

A reproduction of this work appeared in the following publication(s) during Alfred Stieglitz’s lifetime:

The Amateur Photographer 9, prize tour number (June 1889): 7 (ill., Chioggia)

Inscription

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, center verso, in graphite: On the Bride [sic]—Chioggia—1887 / Print—Platinum—1897— / Only first class print / from this negative / Stieglitz

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 59B

Provenance

Georgia O'Keeffe; gift to NGA, 1949.

Exhibition History

2002

Alfred Stieglitz: Known and Unknown, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, June 2–September 2, 2002; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 6, 2002–January 5, 2003

Bibliography

2002

Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 39.

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