My Father

1894, printed 1895/1896

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows a close-up view of an older man's upper body and face. He is positioned facing forward. The man has distinct facial features, including a prominent mustache and deeply set eyes. His hair is wavy and gray, styled away from his face. He is wearing a formal suit with a vest and a large bow tie. The background is a simple, dark gradient. There is no noticeable jewelry or handheld objects in the photo.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    platinum print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 18.7 × 14 cm (7 3/8 × 5 1/2 in.)
    page size: 33.8 × 27 cm (13 5/16 × 10 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.224

  • Volume Title

    Sun Prints, 1

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    53D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more
  • Key Set Number

    237

Associated Artworks

See all 30 artworks
The image displays a close-up portrait of a person's face, capturing the head and some of the upper torso. The person is positioned at a slight angle, with their face turned slightly towards the camera. Their facial features include full lips, an oval face, and large, expressive eyes. Their hair is styled in soft waves that frame their face. The person is wearing a thick, draped garment that covers their shoulders. There is no visible jewelry or objects in their hands. The background consists of a textured, uneven brick wall.

Marina

Alfred Stieglitz

1887

The image depicts a woman standing outdoors. She is leaning against a dark wooden door, with one arm raised and the other arm resting across her body. The woman has a calm expression with partially closed eyes and her head slightly tilted to the side. She has dark hair partially covered by a long head scarf and is wearing a long plaid dress with long sleeves and a dark shawl draped over her shoulders. The background includes an old, textured brick wall and a window with metal bars next to the door. The overall setting appears vintage, possibly in sepia tones.

The Wanderer's Return

Alfred Stieglitz

1887

This is a photograph of a rustic archway entrance set within an old stone building. The image portrays uneven, textured stonework and a large central archway leading into a darker doorway. Above the entrance, a balcony supported by stonework is adorned with potted plants. Ropes are strung across the building, supporting laundry, and the ground is cobblestone. The scene reflects a sense of history and timelessness, capturing everyday life.

A Nook in Pallanza

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. 237.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on interleaving tissue, lower right, in graphite: My Father / 1894

Wikidata ID

Q64037666

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

Born Ephraim Stieglitz in 1833 in Münden, Germany, Alfred Stieglitz’s father changed his name to Edward when he immigrated to the United States in 1848. He was a successful supplier of woolen cloth to stores throughout the East Coast, and was able to retire in 1881 at forty-eight. An amateur artist, he also collected art and supported several painters and sculptors, including Moses Ezekiel and Fedor Encke (see Key Set number 241).

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, 1949.697 [gelatin silver] (inscribed: G1)

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, YCAL MSS 85, box 123, folder 2463 [gelatin silver]

Other Collections

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

Bill Schubart

The Museum of Modern Art, New York, study collection (inscribed: “Portrait” / (Untouched) / By Alfred Stieglitz, New York, U.S.A.)

National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2006.3.1.1

Private collection

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:

1896, New York, The Society of Amateur Photographers of New York, “Third Annual Members’ Exhibition” (as My Father)
1897, Calcutta (no. 208, as My Father, gold medal)
1897, London, R.P.S. (no. 440, as My Father—Non Studio Portrait, lantern slide)
1897, New York (as Portrait, My Father, lantern slide)
1898, New York, Camera Club (no. 12, as “My Father”)
1898, New York, American Institute (no. 149, as My Father)
1898, Philadelphia (no. 202, as My Father)
1899, New York (no. 21, as The Portrait of My Father, 1895, platinum direct)
1921, New York (no. 4, as My Father, 1890)

Lifetime Publications

A reproduction of this work appeared in the following publication(s) during Alfred Stieglitz’s lifetime:

“Our Portrait Competition,” The Photographic Times 26 (January 1895): opp. 33 (ill., Portrait from Life, silver medal in competition)

Beilage zur Deutschen Photographen Zeitung 30 (1895): (ill., Portrait)

Photograms of the Year (London, 1897): 28 (ill., My Father)

F. Schiffner, “Zur Geschichte der Künstlerischen Photographie,” Photographisches Centralblatt 4 (December 1898): 437 (ill., Portrait Meines Vaters)

Charles DeKay, “The Photographer As Artist,” The New York Times Illustrated Magazine (4 June 1899): 7 (ill., My Father / From an Open-Air Photograph)

Theodore Dreiser, “The Camera Club of New York,” Ainslee’s Magazine 4 (October 1899): 333 (ill., Portrait by Alfred Stieglitz)


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