Georgia O'Keeffe

1918

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This black-and-white photograph displays a woman standing in front of a large window. She is facing the left, with her left arm extended out behind her, and the right one extended forward to rest on the windowsill. Her face is mostly in shadow, but we can see the outline of a straight nose, arched eyebrows, closed eyes, and lips set in a neutral expression. She has light skin and dark hair pulled back into a low bun behind her head. The woman is wearing a light robe embroidered with floral patterns that flows down her arms and behind her back. She is otherwise nude, and her sternum and breasts are highlighted by the light coming in from the window. Her body curves slightly, her hips and stomach pushed forward. There is a section of dark hair around her groin. The large window takes up most of the background, with light diffusing through sheer curtains, creating a soft glow.

Media Options

This object’s media is not available for download. Contact us about image usage.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 22.9 × 15.3 cm (9 × 6 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1980.70.97

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    OK 35D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    505

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.

Learn about the Key Set

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Georgia O'Keeffe; gift to NGA, 1980.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1999

  • Photographs from the Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1999

2017

  • Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn; Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem; Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, 2017 - 2020, unnumbered catalogue.

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 505.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 192 [crossed out] / 1918
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: OK 35D

Wikidata ID

Q64037080

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

“There were nudes that might have been of several different people—sitting—standing—even standing upon a radiator against the window—that was difficult—radiators don’t intend you to stand on top of them” (Georgia O’Keeffe in Georgia O’Keeffe: A Portrait by Alfred Stieglitz [1978]).

Other Collections

A print corresponding with this photograph can also be found in the following collection(s):

Robert Koch Gallery [palladium]

You may be interested in

Loading Results