Dorothy True

1919

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image depicts a person lying on what looks like a bed or couch, with only part of the upper body visible. The person is resting on their side, with the head propped up on their right arm, which is bent at the elbow. The facial features of the person include large eyes and a closed mouth, with a contemplative expression. The person has short, wavy hair with curls around the face, and is wearing a light-colored blouse with a collar. A textured blanket partially covers their shoulder. There are no visible jewelry or objects in the image. The background is blurred, creating an intimate and focused vignette around the individual.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    palladium print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 18.9 × 23.3 cm (7 7/16 × 9 3/16 in.)
    sheet: 20.2 × 25.1 cm (7 15/16 × 9 7/8 in.)
    mount: 56.1 × 46.4 cm (22 1/16 × 18 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.434

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    39E

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    603

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. 603.

Inscriptions

by Doris Bry, on mount, lower left, in graphite: Treated by Steichen 6/50
by later hand, lower left verso, in graphite: 39 E

Wikidata ID

Q64034949

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

“I have been developing nearly all day. Plates & films (not many) I exposed two months ago of Dorothy True & Georgia. The only exposures I’ve made since last October.” Stieglitz to Paul Strand, 8 June 1919 (YCAL and CCP).

Dorothy True and O’Keeffe had studied together at Columbia University Teachers College.

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