Songs of the Sky D5

1923

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows a view of the sky with clouds stretching diagonally from the lower left to the upper right corner. The clouds transition from light to dark tones. The brushstrokes create wispy textures as the clouds merge. The color palette is monochromatic, with shades of gray. The clouds stand out against the dark background, appearing dense and shadowed.

Media Options

This object’s media is not available for download. Contact us about image usage.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 9.1 x 11.6 cm (3 9/16 x 4 9/16 in.)
    mount: 34.3 x 27.7 cm (13 1/2 x 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.873

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    161A

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    909

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

Curious for more Alfred Stieglitz scholarship?

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.

Learn about the Key Set

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. 909.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite, underlined: Top; center verso: 10[4?] / D5; center right verso: C6 [crossed out] / D6; lower left verso: 5
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite, underlined: 161A
by later hand (Georgia O'Keeffe?), on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 161A

Wikidata ID

Q64035949

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For information about the date of this photograph, see Key Set number 905.

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, 1949.797 (oriented 90° clockwise and inscribed: Top / E2); 1949.798 (oriented 180° and inscribed: E1 / Top / E)

You may be interested in

Loading Results