Songs of the Sky

1923

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows dense clouds in a dramatic, moody sky. There is no visible horizon line, with the focus solely on the cloud formations. The clouds are represented in a soft, almost abstract style, blending gradients of black and gray. The monochromatic color palette enhances contrast between light and dark areas. The play of light and shadow evokes a sense of mystery and intensity.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 11.8 x 9.2 cm (4 5/8 x 3 5/8 in.)
    mount: 34.3 x 27.2 cm (13 1/2 x 10 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.843

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    153C

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    932

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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Discover over 1,000 artworks that the artist’s wife Georgia O’Keeffe termed his “Key Set” of prize photographs. Museum scholars have illuminated each work, his career, practices, and lifetime achievements.

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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. 932.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper center verso, in graphite: Top / 1; lower left verso: 1923
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 153C
by later hand, on mount, lower right verso, in graphite: D

Wikidata ID

Q64035878

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

Ths photograph and Key Set number 933 are made from the same negative, but have different Stieglitz Estate numbers.

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