Grass and Frost

1934

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image is taken from a slightly elevated point of view, looking down at a patch of grass without a clear horizon visible. The focus remains on the intricate textures of the grass below, with a flat visual perspective emphasizing the patterns. The grass shows a mix of lighter and darker patches, possibly due to variations in light or moisture. There is no visible brushstroke style as this is a photograph. The overall color palette is monochrome black and white, highlighting the contrasts and enhancing the texture of each grass blade. Closest to us, the grass appears detailed and sharp, while further away, the differentiation becomes subtler, blending with shadows. Shadows crisscross the scene diagonally, suggesting a specific quality of light.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 18.9 × 24.2 cm (7 7/16 × 9 1/2 in.)
    mount: 53.3 × 42.4 cm (21 × 16 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.737

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    16B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1556

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

  • On the Art of Fixing a Shadow: 150 Years of Photography, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, May 7–July 30, 1989; The Art Institute of Chicago, September 16–November 26, 1989; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, December 21, 1989–February 25, 1990

Bibliography

1989

  • Greenough, Sarah, Joel Snyder, David Travis, and Colin Westerbeck. On the Art of Fixing a Shadow: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Photography. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington; Art Institute of Chicago, 1989: pl. 258.

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 2, cat. 1556.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper center verso, in graphite: 16 5/8 X 20 15/16; center right verso, in graphite, inverted: Back
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, bottom left verso, in graphite: 16B

Wikidata ID

Q64035621

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 Art Institute of Chicago, 1949.768

Library of Congress, Washington, PH-54 B

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:

1934, New York (no. 54, as Grass and Frost, 1934)

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