Equivalent

1929

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows an upward view of a sky filled with dense clouds. The horizon is not visible, as the focus is entirely on the swirling clouds occupying the frame. A circular light source can be seen to the left, possibly the moon peeking through an opening in the cloud cover. The technique involves soft, diffused brushstrokes, creating a textured scene. The color palette is moody and monochromatic, with deep grays and blacks, and subtle hints of lighter gray and white around the moon, adding depth and movement to the clouds.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 11.8 x 9.3 cm (4 5/8 x 3 11/16 in.)
    mount: 34.7 x 27.6 cm (13 11/16 x 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1030

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    221D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1299

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.

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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. 1299.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 221D
by later hand, on mount, lower right verso, in graphite: X

Wikidata ID

Q64036307

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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