From the Back-Window—291

1915/1916

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows an elevated view of a city with dense architecture. Various buildings, including an ornate high-rise, obscure the horizon. The buildings have rectangular windows and decorative details. The scene has soft transitions between light and shadow, creating a detailed composition. The color palette is primarily muted sepia. Close-up structures show geometric shapes and domestic details like fire escapes and clotheslines.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    platinum with palladium print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 24.7 x 19.7 cm (9 3/4 x 7 3/4 in.)
    sheet: 35.4 x 20.2 cm (13 15/16 x 7 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.405

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    12E

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    425

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

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. 425.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 12 E

Wikidata ID

Q64034917

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