Georgia O'Keeffe—Hands and Breasts

1919

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This is a photograph of hands placed on a torso. The image is captured in sepia tones. It features hands gently clasping the torso, with fingers splayed. The composition is intimate, highlighting the textures of skin and subtle shading. The focus on form and shadow suggests an exploration of human anatomy or an artistic study of the human body. The photograph's minimal background ensures all attention is drawn to the central subject.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    palladium print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 18.3 × 22 cm (7 3/16 × 8 11/16 in.)
    mat: 55.9 × 46.3 cm (22 × 18 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1980.70.114

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    OK 39C

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    579

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, 1980.

Associated Names

Bibliography

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 1, cat. 579.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left, in graphite: Treated by Steichen 6/49; lower left verso: OK 39C
by later hands, lower left verso, in graphite: K—OK 39C; on mount, center: K OK 39C

Wikidata ID

Q64037119

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

The dates for this photograph and Key Set numbers 578, 580, and 581 are based on similarities to Key Set number 576.

Lifetime Exhibitions

A print from the same negative—perhaps a photograph from the Gallery’s collection—appeared in the following exhibition(s) during Alfred Stieglitz’s lifetime:

possibly 1921, New York (nos. 138–140, as Hands and Breasts, 1918–1920)

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