Songs of the Sky G4

1923

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows swirling clouds dominating the frame with no clear horizon visible. The view appears to be from below looking up into the sky. In the center, there is a bright light, possibly the sun obscured by the clouds. The clouds have a painterly texture with soft gradations and indistinct edges. The color palette is monochromatic, using varying shades of greys and blacks. Light defines the forms and depths within the clouds, adding a sense of movement and mystery to the scene.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 11.2 x 9 cm (4 7/16 x 3 9/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1112

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    218D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    935

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. 935.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: G4 [4 in subscript]
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 218-D

Wikidata ID

Q64036492

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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