Equivalent HH3

1929

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

The image shows a dark, cloudy sky with a bright light shining through the clouds. There is no visible horizon or ground. The clouds are painted with a smooth blending technique, creating a soft yet imposing presence. The color palette consists mostly of blacks and grays, with the light source creating a contrasting glow. The play of light and shadow creates a striking visual impact.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 11.9 x 9.2 cm (4 11/16 x 3 5/8 in.)
    mount: 34.8 x 27.5 cm (13 11/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.1040

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    146D

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    1260

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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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.

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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. 1260.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, center left verso, in graphite: HH3 [3 in subscript]
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 146-D

Wikidata ID

Q64036329

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

Remarks

The patterns of the clouds and the stark contrast of all three prints in set HH (this photograph and Key Set numbers 1258 and 1259) are characteristic of other prints dating from 1929.

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:

Library of Congress, Washington, PH-37 A (inscribed: P4 )

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