Equivalent HH2

1929

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This image depicts the night sky with dark swirling clouds dominating the scene. The horizon is not visible, and the clouds fill the frame, suggesting an upward vantage point. The clouds resemble broad brushstrokes, creating a texture of movement across the sky. The color palette consists of deep blacks, subtle grays, and hints of lighter gray where the clouds thin out. The overall mood is mysterious and shadowy, with intricate patterns of light and dark in the clouds.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 11.9 × 9.2 cm (4 11/16 × 3 5/8 in.)
    mount: 34.8 x 27.5 cm (13 11/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1039

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    148B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1259

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. 1259.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, center left verso, in graphite: HH2 [2 in subscript]
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 148-B

Wikidata ID

Q64036328

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

The patterns of the clouds and the stark contrast of all three prints in set HH (this photograph and Key Set numbers 1258 and 1260) are characteristic of other prints dating from 1929.

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