Songs of the Sky

1924

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image presents a landscape view from a slightly elevated point. The horizon line is almost unnoticeable as the land seamlessly transitions into the sky. In the middle, a dark, forested hill rises with a gentle slope from left to right. Some trees are visible along its outline. Below the hill, a body of water shines dimly, framed by clusters of darker trees. The sky above is filled with dramatic, swirling clouds in shades of gray. The overall color palette is monochromatic, featuring gradations of black, gray, and white. The image appears photographic with no visible brushstrokes.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 9.3 x 12 cm (3 11/16 x 4 3/4 in.)
    mount: 34.1 x 27.6 cm (13 7/16 x 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.904

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    173C

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more
  • Key Set Number

    1062

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. 1062.

Inscriptions

by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: [?C]; upper right verso: 173C

Wikidata ID

Q64036022

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

The dates for this photograph and Key Set numbers 1063–1069 are based on similarities to Key Set number 1054 and other prints dated 1924. Probably referring to prints made prior to 1925, Stieglitz wrote to Sherwood Anderson on 5 July 1925, “I have been looking for years—50 upwards—at a particular sky line of simple hills—how can I tell the world in words what that line is—changing as it does every moment.—I’d love to get down what ‘that’ line has done for me—May be I have—somewhat—in those snapshots I’ve been doing the last few years” (YCAL and Newberry Library).

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:

The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 38.1950


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