Songs of the Sky

1923

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows an expansive sky with scattered cloud formations. The horizon is not visible, and the viewpoint is immersed within the sky itself. The clouds cascade diagonally across the frame from the top right to the bottom left, creating movement. The clouds have a soft, fluffy texture resembling delicately dabbed brushstrokes. The color palette is monochromatic with shades of gray and white, creating a serene impression.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 9.2 x 11.6 cm (3 5/8 x 4 9/16 in.)
    mount: 34.2 x 27.7 cm (13 7/16 x 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.948

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    166B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    945

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. 945.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 166B
by later hand, on mount, lower right verso, in graphite: D

Wikidata ID

Q64036124

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

The dates for this photograph and Key Set numbers 944, 946, and 947 are based on the mounting materials and type of paper, which are similar to those of other prints dated 1923.

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