Songs of the Sky

1924

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image is an abstract photograph captured from a high vantage point. There is no visible horizon line, as the sky completely fills the frame, giving the impression of looking straight out into a textured sky. The clouds appear as streaks and patches across the image, presented in an array of gray tones against a black sky. The contrast between the bright edges of the clouds and the dark sky creates a dramatic effect. The style is soft and organic, with the cloud formations shown in fluid, sweeping lines. The overall color palette is monochromatic, dominated by varying shades of black and white, which enhances the depth and movement across the image. The viewer's eye is drawn upwards through the layers of clouds, exploring the dynamic interplay of light and shadow.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 9.3 x 11.9 cm (3 11/16 x 4 11/16 in.)
    mount: 34.2 x 27.5 cm (13 7/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.918

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    168D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1059

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

2008

  • Notation, Akademie der Künste, Berlin; Zentrum Für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe, 2008

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 2, cat. 1059.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 168D

Wikidata ID

Q64036049

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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