Songs of the Sky or Equivalent

1923/1929

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image depicts a view of the night sky. The perspective is directed upwards, showing an expanse of clouds with a glowing moon partially hidden behind them. The horizon is not visible. The clouds have smudged, soft brushstrokes creating a textured pattern against the dark background. The color palette consists of black, grey, and white, with the bright moon contrasting against the darker clouds.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 12 x 9.1 cm (4 3/4 x 3 9/16 in.)
    mount: 34.2 x 27.5 cm (13 7/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1148

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    164C

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    969

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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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. 969.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 164C

Wikidata ID

Q64036571

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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