Night—Fifth Avenue

probably 1898, printed 1929/1932

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows a nighttime city street scene from a high vantage point. The street is wide and lined with trees and buildings. Diminishing rows of streetlights illuminate the path and reflect on the wet pavement. Light from lamps on the left side of the street creates a soft glowing contrast against the dark silhouettes of the trees and buildings. The scene has a moody and atmospheric effect. The color palette is mostly gray and black, enhancing the play of light and shadow.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 10.1 × 12.7 cm (4 × 5 in.)
    mat: 31.5 × 25.1 cm (12 3/8 × 9 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.252

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    123D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    262

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. 262.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, center verso, in graphite: B Ex.
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 123D

Wikidata ID

Q64034761

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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:

1932, New York (no. 37, as Night—Fifth Avenue, 1897)

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