At Biarritz, 1890, printed 1895/1896

Key Set Entry

• prev
• 69 of 1642 from the Alfred Stieglitz Key Set
• next

Remarks

Stieglitz won The Amateur Photographer’s “Travelling Studentship Competition” in July 1890 (see also Key Set numbers 40, 60, 62, 67, and 68) and was sent to photograph at Ile de Ré, Aranchon, Biarritz, and St.-Jean-de-Luz in the south of France. Charles Hastings of The Amateur Photographer wrote to Stieglitz: “We shall be glad of views of general interest, beach views, promenades, bathing customs.—The photographs should be large. We must of course leave the selection of views to you only reminding you that the negatives are required more for commercial purposes than as examples of art photography. . . . Views of general interest should include Cathedrals, Castles, Ruins and Public buildings of interest” (7 August 1890, YCAL).

As the rules of the competition stipulated that Stieglitz submit negatives taken during the trip to The Amateur Photographer for their use, few images from this trip are known. They include Cloud Study in Biarritz (see Christie’s, New York, auction catalogue, 26 May 1982, lot 68).

Other Collections

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

International Center of Photography, New York, 86.2002 [lantern slide]

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:

1891, New York, Fourth Annual Joint Exhibition (no. 311, as At Biarritz)
1892, Boston (no. 323, as Biarritz)

Lifetime Publications

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

Frank Leslie’s Weekly 71 (27 December 1890): 389 (ill., At Low Tide)

Inscription

by Alfred Stieglitz, on interleaving tissue, lower right, in graphite: At "Biarritz." / 1890

Provenance

Georgia O'Keeffe; gift to NGA, 1949.

Exhibition History

1983

Photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, February 3–May 8, 1983; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, June 17–August 14, 1983; The Art Institute of Chicago, October 18, 1983–January 3, 1984

Bibliography

1983

Greenough, Sarah, and Juan Hamilton. Alfred Stieglitz: Photographs and Writings. Washington, 1983: no. 4, pl. 1.

2002

Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 69.

Related Content