Songs of the Sky Q4

1923

Alfred Stieglitz

Associated Names
Alfred Stieglitz

Artist, American, 1864 - 1946

This image shows a view looking upward at a sky filled with thick clouds. The horizon is not visible, allowing the clouds to dominate the composition entirely. The cloud formations are complex, with intricate textures and varying densities, showing areas of brightness against deep, shadowy tones. The style captures natural brushstrokes, with transitions between light and shadows, and a palette of grays and blacks that emphasize depth and contrast. The absence of color channels focuses on the interplay between light and dark, creating a visual impact.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Alfred Stieglitz Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to image): 11.8 x 9.2 cm (4 5/8 x 3 5/8 in.)
    mount: 34.2 x 27.5 cm (13 7/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.3.841

  • Stieglitz Estate Number

    231B

    Part of Stieglitz Key Set Online Edition

    Learn more

  • Key Set Number

    918

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

Exhibition History

1983

  • Photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, February 3–May 8, 1983; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, June 17–August 14, 1983; The Art Institute of Chicago, October 18, 1983–January 3, 1984

Bibliography

1983

  • Greenough, Sarah, and Juan Hamilton. Alfred Stieglitz: Photographs and Writings. Washington, 1983: no. 134.

2002

  • Greenough, Sarah. Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs. Washington, 2002: vol. 2, cat. 918.

Inscriptions

by Alfred Stieglitz, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: Q4 [crossed out] / Q4
by Georgia O'Keeffe, on mount, upper left verso, in graphite: 231B

Wikidata ID

Q64035875

Scholarly Remarks and Key Set Data

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, 74:0052:0029

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 28.128.3 (oriented 180° and inscribed: Equivalent—1923 / Alfred Stieglitz. / 1923)

Other Collections

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

The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1988.566

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