A Bit of New York

1913

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows an urban scene from a lower vantage point. A construction site with debris and a ladder is in the foreground. Behind it, a row of mixed-use buildings and small businesses line the street. The skyline is dominated by a tall, ornate building with spire-capped towers. The background is a misty sky, giving a sense of depth. The color palette is monochrome, with shades of grey emphasizing the architecture and texture. A leafless tree on the right provides a contrast to the urban environment.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    platinum print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 19.4 × 9.7 cm (7 5/8 × 3 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.373

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    12B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    381

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

1989

  • David Winton Bell Gallery, Providence, RI, 1989

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 381.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: Exhibition / 1921; center left verso: N.Y.
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 12 B

Wikidata ID

Q64034885

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

The view is probably from a window at 291, looking south toward Madison Square Garden and the Metropolitan Life Building.

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:

1921, New York (no. 79, as A Bit of New York, 1913)

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