Songs of the Sky or Equivalent

1923/1929

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows an upward perspective of a dramatic sky filled with clouds. There is no visible horizon in the image. The clouds vary in shades of gray, with a contrast between lighter and darker areas. The color palette is monochromatic, consisting of blacks, whites, and grays. Light and shadow play create depth, with light breaking through the dense cloud cover as a focal point.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 9.2 x 11.7 cm (3 5/8 x 4 5/8 in.)
    mount: 34.2 x 27.5 cm (13 7/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1172

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    231D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    967

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. 967.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 231D

Wikidata ID

Q64036630

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