Sunlight

1894, printed 1895/1896

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This is a photograph of a rustic outdoor setting featuring a wooden water pump and a wooden trough. The scene captures an old-fashioned rural environment with weathered wooden structures and elements. In the foreground, there's a large wooden trough from which water is being drawn. The pump is made of sturdy wood and is simple in structure. Adjacent to the pump is a wooden pail resting on the trough. In the background, a rough path leads to a building with a timber facade, partially obscured by shadows cast from nearby trees.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    platinum print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 12.7 × 16.2 cm (5 × 6 3/8 in.)
    page size: 34.8 × 27 cm (13 11/16 × 10 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.175

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    63C

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    185

Associated Artworks

See all 29 artworks
There is an image of a man from the mid-torso up. He is turned slightly to the side but gazes directly at the viewer. The man has a full, thick beard and mustache, with short, wavy light-colored hair. He wears a dark coat with a high collar, buttoned at the front. There is no visible jewelry or objects being held. The background is plain and dark.

Professor Vogel

Alfred Stieglitz

1886

This photograph depicts an old stone building facade. The structure has a central archway with a balcony above it, adorned with potted plants. Clotheslines with drying laundry are visible. The stone walls appear weathered and textured. A cobblestone pathway adds to the historic feel. Wooden beams support the structure above the archway.

A Nook in Pallanza

Alfred Stieglitz

1887

The image displays a sepia-toned scene by a lakeside where women in period clothing wash clothes. The perspective is from the shoreline, showing the activities near the water. The overcast sky blends into distant mountains, which dominate the background. A large sailboat and smaller wooden boats are docked at the shore, with a man carrying a basket onboard. In the distance, a group of people stands by railings extending into the lake, lined with trees. The image has a muted tone with grey-scale, highlighting the historical aspect. The water reflects the sky, contrasting against the rocky shore.

Washerwomen at Lake Como

Alfred Stieglitz

1887

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

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 185.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on interleaving tissue, upper right, in graphite: "Sunlight."

Wikidata ID

Q64037756

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For Stieglitz's description of Gutach, where this view was made, see Key Set number 171.

Other Collections

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

National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2006.3.1.13

Location unknown [lantern slide]

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:

1899, New York (no. 60, as A Black Forest Well, 1894)
1934, New York (no. 16, as At the Pump, Black Forest, 1894)

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