From My Window at An American Place, Southwest

April 1932

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows a cityscape view framed by tall buildings. The perspective appears to be from a window or a terrace, looking out over an urban environment. Closest to us are the darker silhouettes of the buildings on either side, with a large, under-construction high-rise dominating the center of the scene in the distance. The horizon is obscured by the cluster of buildings, featuring a cloudy sky with patches of lighter tones. The construction scaffolding atop the tall building and the cranes reach into the sky, becoming focal points on the skyline. The photograph is rendered in black and white, with a range of grays contributing to the atmosphere. The brushstrokes of light and shadow create a textured feel, emphasizing the architectural elements and the play of light and dark across the urban landscape.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 23.8 x 18.8 cm (9 3/8 x 7 3/8 in.)
    mount: 56.5 x 45.5 cm (22 1/4 x 17 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1239

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    7E

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1458

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

Exhibition History

2016

  • Intersections: Photographs and Videos from the National Gallery of Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2016–2017

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 2, cat. 1458.

Inscriptions

by later hand, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: 7—E

Wikidata ID

Q64036781

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For more information about this photograph, see Key Set number 1452.

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