Songs of the Sky B3

1923

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The photograph shows the sky with dramatic clouds dominating the frame. The horizon is not visible. The swirling and shifting formations of the clouds are the focus. The clouds have a painterly quality with soft edges against the darkened sky. The color palette is monochromatic, highlighting shades of black and gray. The texture of the clouds and the illumination of the light source behind them, possibly the sun or moon, create a luminous spot in the dark sky. The contrast between light and shadow creates a moody and atmospheric scene.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 11.9 × 9.3 cm (4 11/16 × 3 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 12.6 × 10.1 cm (4 15/16 × 4 in.)
    mount: 34.2 × 27.5 cm (13 7/16 × 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.856

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    157D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    900

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. 900.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: Top / B3 [3 in subscript]; upper center verso: Top / B / 3 [crossed out] / 3; center left verso: B3 [3 in subscript]
by Georgia O'Keeffe, upper left verso, in graphite: 157-D

Wikidata ID

Q64035909

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For more information about the date of this print, see Key Set number 898.

Other Collections

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

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, P.2014.105 (oriented 180°)

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