The Flatiron

1903, printed 1929/1932

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows a wintry park with a tall building in the background. The view is slightly low, with trees obscuring the horizon. The base of the building appears lower in the image, indicating distance. The building is centered and tall, towering over the scene. The bare branches of trees are dusted with snow, creating intricate patterns against the sky. The image is black-and-white with sharp focus, capturing fine details. The color palette is monochromatic with various shades of gray, white, and black. Silhouettes of people and park benches are visible, adding depth and a human element to the scene.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 12 × 8.9 cm (4 3/4 × 3 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.273

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    130A

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    289

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

1946

  • Twice A Year 14/15 (Fall-Winter 1946–1947): 188–190.

1996

  • Smith, Joel. "How Stieglitz Came to Photograph Cityscapes." History of Photography 20, no. 4 (Winter 1996): 323.

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 289.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on print, center verso, in graphite: smooth mat paper; on mount, center verso: Ex 1932
by later hand, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: another a better print; upper right verso, in blue pencil: "you"
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 130 A

Wikidata ID

Q64034784

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For Stieglitz’s description of photographing the Flatiron Building, see Key Set number 287.

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:

The Art Institute of Chicago, 1949.707

Other Collections

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

University of New Mexico Art Museum, Albuquerque, PC76193 [platinum]

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