Songs of the Sky

1924

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image depicts a view from ground level looking up at a dramatic sky. The horizon is at the bottom showing a dark silhouette of a hilly landscape. The sky above is filled with thick, dark clouds with a small brighter area. Brushstrokes in the clouds appear smooth and expansive, creating a brooding atmosphere. The color palette is mainly black and grey, intensifying the contrast between the cloudy sky and the silhouette landscape.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 9.5 x 12 cm (3 3/4 x 4 3/4 in.)
    mount: 34.2 x 27.5 cm (13 7/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.903

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    173B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1068

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. 1068.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 173B
by later hand, on mount, lower right verso, in graphite: DD

Wikidata ID

Q64036020

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For information about the date of this photograph, see Key Set number 1062.

Other Collections

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

Collection of Richard and Ronay Menschel

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