Georgia O'Keeffe—Hands and Horse Skull

1931

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This is a photograph of a human hands touching a large animal skull. The hands are positioned delicately over the skull, showing details such as cracks and marks on the bone surface. The lighting is soft, emphasizing the texture and creating shadows. The composition suggests a connection between life and death, nature and humanity.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 16.9 × 22.5 cm (6 5/8 × 8 7/8 in.)
    mount: 52.9 x 41.8 cm (20 13/16 x 16 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1980.70.243

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    OK 23D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1428

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. 2, cat. 1428.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, lower left verso, in graphite: OK 23D

Wikidata ID

Q64037429

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

For more information about this photograph, see Key Set number 1427.

Stieglitz Collections

A corresponding print was given to the following institution(s) by Alfred Stieglitz during his lifetime, or was received or acquired from the estate:

George Eastman Museum, Rochester, 74:0052:0055

Other Collections

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

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, 2014.3.81

Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1997-38-3

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