Poplars—Lake George

1932

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows tall, slender trees with bare branches reaching upward, dominating the composition. The horizon is not visible. The focus is on the trees against a muted sky. The branches display light and shadow play, showcasing textures and patterns. The image has a monochromatic tone with varying shades of gray. There are clusters of foliage retaining leaves beyond the bare branches.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 23.5 × 18.1 cm (9 1/4 × 7 1/8 in.)
    mount: 56.4 × 42.9 cm (22 3/16 × 16 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.727

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    23B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1467

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. 2, cat. 1467.

Inscriptions

by Doris Bry, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 23-B

Wikidata ID

Q64035599

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

“Have finally one thing I think pretty grand—a tree—a dead one” ( Stieglitz to Herbert Seligmann, 6 September 1932, YCAL).

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, 61.1950

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 52.1805

Other Collections

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

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, 2003.1.19

Philadelphia Museum of Art, SC 1968-68-31 (inscribed: Poplars—Lake George—1932 / by Alfred Stieglitz / With permission / An American Place)

Lifetime Publications

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

Waldo Frank et al., America & Alfred Stieglitz (New York, 1934): pl. 27c (ill., Poplars—Lake George, 1932)

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