The Hand of Man

1902, printed 1911

Alfred Stieglitz (editor/publisher) after Various Artists

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows a railway scene from a slightly elevated point of view. The horizon is high in the background with industrial structures, factory buildings, and smokestacks. The scene is monochromatic in shades of grey and black, with a grainy texture. In the distance, a steam locomotive is visible with thick black smoke. Utility poles and rail tracks converge towards the horizon, while buildings are on the right side of the image.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    photogravure

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 15.9 × 21.4 cm (6 1/4 × 8 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1278.41

  • Copyright

    Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

  • Key Set Number

    279

Associated Artworks

See all 16 artworks

Camera Work: Vol.9: Numbers 33, 34/35, 36

Alfred Stieglitz

1911

City of Ambition

Alfred Stieglitz

1910

The image shows a riverside area with a stack of cut logs in the foreground. A railing from a structure is visible on the left. In the background, there is a cityscape silhouette with buildings. A steamship is seen moving across the water with billowing white smoke. The image is characterized by a soft-focus effect, giving it a dream-like quality. The color palette is predominantly soft sepia tones.

The City across the River

Alfred Stieglitz

1910

The image shows a man leaning his head on his hand, positioned with his face resting on his left hand. He has a mustache, thin-framed eyeglasses, and thick, greying hair that curls slightly at the edges. He is dressed in a formal jacket, a white shirt, and a black bow tie. The background is a soft, dark blur.

Alfred Stieglitz

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Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Georgia O'Keeffe; gift to NGA, 1949.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1992

  • Stieglitz in the Darkroom, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, October 4, 1992–February 14, 1993

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 279.

Wikidata ID

Q64037834

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Related Key Set Photographs

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