The City of Ambition

1910, printed 1929/1934

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows an upward view from the water's edge towards a cityscape. Tall buildings line the horizon, with a mix of shorter structures in the middle distance and towering skyscrapers further away. Some buildings have ornate rooftops. Smoke is coming out of chimneys, blending with the cloudy sky. The image is in black and white, creating a dramatic effect. Closest to the viewer is a river or canal with reflective water, and a ferry is docked at a terminal with an unclear sign. In the background, dark buildings contrast with a lighter, partly cloudy sky.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 10.8 x 8.2 cm (4 1/4 x 3 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.309

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    130D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    343

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

Exhibition History

1992

  • Stieglitz in the Darkroom, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, October 4, 1992–February 14, 1993

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 343.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 130 D

Wikidata ID

Q64034819

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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 Museum of Modern Art, New York, 22.1950

Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1949-18-47

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 52.1793

Other Collections

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

Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, 2018.84.23

Location unknown

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