Clouds or Equivalent

1927

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This image shows a sky filled with various formations of clouds. The horizon is not visible, allowing the focus to be solely on the sky and the cloudscape. The clouds display a range of density and texture, with some having soft, feathery edges and others appearing dense and weighty with sharply defined silver linings where light catches their edges. The image has a smooth gradation in tone, with darker areas suggesting storm clouds and lighter sections where the sun peeks through. The color palette is grayscale, creating a monochromatic intensity that highlights the visual impact of contrasting light and shadow. The deepest parts of the sky suggest profound depth, offering a captivating view of nature's spectacle.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 9 × 11.7 cm (3 9/16 × 4 5/8 in.)
    mount: 27.6 x 34.9 cm (10 7/8 x 13 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1001

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    150B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1217

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. 2, cat. 1217.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: Clouds / 1927
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 150B

Wikidata ID

Q64036245

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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