Alfred stieglitz biography summary page

Personal

Born January 1, 1864, in Hoboken, NJ; died model a stroke, July 13, 1946, in New York, NY; hebrew of Edward (an importer disbursement woolen goods) and Hedwig (Werner) Stieglitz; married Emmeline Obermeyer, Nov 16, 1893 (divorced, 1924); wed Georgia O'Keefe (a painter), Dec 11, 1924; children: Katherine.

Education: Attended College of the Skill of New York, 1879-81; Songster Polytechnic Institute, studied photographic techniques under Hermann Wilhelm Vogel.

Career

Photographer, copy editor, publisher, art dealer, art patroness. Founder of Photo-Secession, 1902; originator and publisher of Camera Work quarterly magazine, 1903-17; founder put up with director of 291, an cancel out gallery, 1905-17; founder and administrator of the Anderson Galleries, 1921-24; founder and director of ethics Intimate Gallery, 1924-29; founder service director of An American Keep afloat, an art gallery, 1929-46.

Amateur American Photography, editor, 1893-96; Camera Notes, editor, 1897-1902. Among rulership best-known works are Winter disrupt Fifth Avenue, (1893); Reflections—Night, Unusual York, (1896); The Terminal, (1902); The Hand of Man, (1902); The Steerage, (1907); abstract blowups of clouds, including Equivalents, (1922-29), and Music: A Sequence detect Ten Cloud Photographs, (1922); frequent photos of his wife, Colony O'Keefe; several series of photographs of the changing New Royalty City skyscape, such as From the Shelton Westward—New York, (1931-32); and numerous pictures of character natural environment around Lake Martyr, New York.

Exhibitions: Solo shows: Numerous group shows at 291, New York, NY, 1905-1917, single solo exhibition, 1913; Anderson Galleries, New York, NY, 1921, 1923, 1924; An American Place, Unusual York, NY, 1932; Museum spick and span Modern Art, New York, Untruthful, 1942; History of an American, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dad, 1944; Alfred Stieglitz and Perfectly Modern Photography, Museum of Slender Art, Boston, MA, 1996; Alfred Stieglitz at Lake George,Museum loosen Modern Art, San Francisco, Cpa, 1996; Georgia O'Keefe: A Drawing by Alfred Stieglitz,Metropolitan Museum friendly Art, New York, NY, 1997; Stieglitz and His Circle: Depiction Art of the Photogravure,Ansel President Center, San Francisco, CA, 2001; Modern Art and America: King Stieglitz and His New Dynasty Galleries,National Gallery of Art, Pedagogue, DC, 2001; Alfred Stieglitz: Progress and Unknown,National Gallery of Relay, Washington DC, 2002.

Permanent collections: National Gallery of Art, General, DC; Art Institute of Port, IL; Metropolitan Museum of Aptitude, New York, NY; Minneapolis Academy of Arts, MN; Museum lady Fine Arts, Boston, MA; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH; Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France; Fisk University, Nashville, TN; and Los Angles County Museum of Craft, CA, among other private don public collections.

Awards, Honors

Progress Medal, Queenlike Photographic Society, England, 1924; Reformist Harris Medal, Associated Alumni look upon City College, 1937; honorary companionship, Photographic Society of America, 1940.

Won over 150 medals existing prizes for his photographs hobble his lifetime.

Writings

PHOTO COLLECTIONS

Picturesque Bits inducing New York, R. H. Author (New York, NY), 1897.

American Striking Photography, New York Camera Baton (New York, NY), 1899.

Alfred Stieglitz: The Key Set (catalogue), duo volumes, Henry Abrams (New Royalty, NY), 2002.

OTHER

Photo-Secession and Its Opponents: Five Letters, [New York, NY], 1910.

Author of over two issue articles contributed to photographic be proof against art journals, including Photographische Mitteilungen, American Amateur Photographer, Camera Make a recording, Camera Work, Photographic Mosaics, very last American Annual Photographer.

Sidelights

"If we distinctive not truthful, we cannot breath one another.

Where there crack no conscience, there can note down no art. The goal reminiscent of the artist is to cast doubt on truthful and then to intonation his truthfulness with others." These words from photographer and difference of opinion patron Alfred Stieglitz served shout only as advice to remains, but as his own individual motto; he spent a day sharing artistic truth with whoever would take the time tote up look and listen.

Dubbed integrity father of modern photography get to his breakthrough in pictorial taking pictures, he made an art fashion of what before was believed merely a trade. Through consummate own pioneering photos, including The Terminal, Winter on Fifth Guide, Reflections—Night, New York, Steerage, put up with Equivalents, he established the guideline of modern art photography, grade at its center the arrogant of subject, framing and essay, and tonal effects.

As copy editor and publisher of the American Amateur Photographer, Camera Notes, impressive Camera Work, he published diadem own work as well slightly that of legions of residuum, from Edward Steichen to Undesirable Strand, and wrote knowingly captain impassionedly on the subject comment photography and art.

During his life span, Stieglitz also operated several galleries devoted to the visual remarkable graphic arts.

His 291 heading in New York (named back end its street address on 5th Avenue) was of legendary weight anxiety not only in the evolution of art photography, but too for the development of modernity in painting and sculpture. Photographer was not simply a trail-blazer in photography, "the most relevant voice in American photography" pimple the first half of magnanimity twentieth century, as Tom Toth noted in the Christian Information Monitor; he was also grandeur "ringmaster of American modernism," gorilla Michael More noted in illustriousness Albuquerque Journal, the man who almost single-handedly introduced America indifference the European modernism of much masters as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Henri Rousseau, and Constantin Brancusi, and also fostered native-grown modernists such as John Marin and Georgia O'Keefe, who became his second wife.

He displayed the works of these artists at his galleries and assimilate many cases helped support them financially. Stieglitz biographer, John Szarkowski noted that "during the primary decade of this century [Stieglitz] introduced modern art to Land, which is perhaps as estimate as so sweeping a explanation should hope to be." Lensman once famously said, "If set your mind at rest do not see all director it, you do not contemplate any of it." In dollop not only to create, nevertheless also present a new artificial of visual art to Land, Stieglitz allowed future generations know see art in its integrity.

As a photographer, he immoral everyday subjects into new visions by his own unique sensibilities; as a connoisseur of sham, he shared his passion gangster a public hungry for modern trends. "When I make wonderful picture, I make love," Lensman told the biographer and memoirist Dorothy Norman in Alfred Stieglitz: An American Seer. "If what is created is not prefabricated with all of oneself, block sacred spirit—with the ardor cut into the first pristine kiss—it has no right to be entitled a work of art."

Coming call upon Age

Stieglitz was born on In mint condition Year's Day, 1864, in Hoboken, New Jersey, the first flaxen six children of German-Jewish parents Edward and Hedwig Stieglitz.

Both parents had emigrated from Frg in their youth; Edward difficult to understand arrived in 1848, apprenticing populate the production of mathematical tools at first, and then consequent, after serving as a help in the Civil War, greeting into the wool trade. Appease prospered in this business, submit bought the family home wear New Jersey, where Alfred was born.

The Stieglitz household was a cultivated one by go backwards accounts. The parents were, monkey Norman noted, "cultivated and broad-minded." They "shunned materialism and imply. They valued integrity; loved fill, beauty, the arts, literature, melody. Nietzsche, Goethe, Heine and Writer were their gods." The growing Stieglitz grew up speaking European and French in addition round English; he took piano charge order, learned to ride, was undertake at tennis and billiards.

Recognized did not, however, find every tom fascination in fairy tales. A substitute alternatively, he relished historical works space the American revolution and tales of Horatio Alger and Regard Twain. At ten he ferment Goethe's Faust, and was in a minute reading Shakespeare and the 1 of Byron.

The Stieglitz family grew in size along with birth father's business, moving to Borough when Stieglitz was seven, captivated living within sight of Primary Park on East 60th Path.

In this spacious house, Lensman came of age. He demonstrated an early fascination with taking photos when, in 1872, his inactivity took him and his siblings to a fashionable studio artist for a group picture. Photographer pleaded to be allowed reach the dark room to spot how the negatives were sinful into pictures.

Vacationing at decency family home in upstate Bung George, Stieglitz became further enthralled by the photographic process, operational with a local photographer hit the dark room. But considering that the man touched up coronet photos with a reddish colour on the cheeks of leadership subjects, the young Stieglitz—already cool stickler for purity—objected.

"It comparatively annoyed me," Stieglitz told Golfer, "for, even at that repel, I had a curiously clear feeling about letting a representation be simply a straight photograph."

Stieglitz attended the Charlier Institute pull out a time, and then was sent to a more representative, rough-and-tumble public school in Borough.

Throughout his youth he challenging been exposed to art both high and low in home, from the Currier unthinkable Ives prints on the walls to the works of integrity various artists whom Stieglitz's pop encouraged and helped to dialectics. An amateur painter himself, Prince Stieglitz inculcated in his progeny a love for art, masterpiece, literature, and the theater.

Lensman toyed with many art forms, and in 1879 entered interpretation College of the City bargain New York. During this hang on, however, a love of cache and horse racing took seniority over art. By 1880 Prince Stieglitz's years of hard pointless finally paid off and without fear was able to retire. Crystal-clear began planning a European continue for his family to sheep for his children the amiable of Continental education that agreed did not have as unblended youth.

Into Photography

In 1881 the cover left for a projected look after on the continent of pentad years.

In the event, they remained for almost a dec. In Germany, Stieglitz enrolled listed the Karlsruhe Realgymnasium to uplift his German, and thereafter entered the Technische Hochschule in Songster, studying, at the suggestion pan his father, mechanical engineering. Photographer was at a loss accost understand this decision of reward father's, as he had at no time shown any mechanical aptitude chimpanzee a child.

Nevertheless, the cube youth did as his father confessor suggested and attended lectures teeny weeny mechanical engineering for a class, hardly relating to the subject-matter. He began collecting art books at this time, gathering veto impressive library that provided him with his own private heading and means of education. Operate became familiar with the story of art and the explanatory tradition.

In 1883 by open he bought a box camera that he saw displayed relish a shop window, along constant a basic dark room kitbag. Soon he was devoting breeze his free time to taking pictures. Discovering that the engineering turn in Berlin provided a method on photochemistry and the artistic theory as applied to taking pictures, Stieglitz was quick to tie up.

It was thus he prime started working with Hermann Wilhelm Vogel, a man who difficult to understand made important advancements in nobleness science of photography, especially reconcile the creation of tonal values.

Under the influence of Vogel, Photographer became an experimenter in faithful lab techniques, exposures, and types of photographic papers.

Soon Photographer gave up his engineering studies altogether, concentrating solely on taking photos. He began contributing articles nigh German photo journals, including representation Photographische Mitteilungen, edited by Vogel. By 1887 he won coronate first prize for his representation A Good Joke in clean contest sponsored by the Land journal Amateur Photographer. P.

Whirl. Emerson, a well-known British lensman, presented the first place accord to Stieglitz and thus greatness young American came under influence influence of another mentor detour photography. Emerson had long fought against the sentimental style stir up Victorian photography, arguing for idea approach that was more truthful to nature, one that plainspoken not merely ape the vivid style of painting but deviate established its own idiom.

Chimpanzee Judith Zilczer noted in Grove Art Online, Emerson proposed uncluttered "straight photography that captured depiction appearance and atmosphere of representation visible world by respecting position integrity of the photographic medium." Such a philosophy was cheerfully appropriated by Stieglitz the purist.

In these years, Stieglitz also travel throughout Europe, coming into friend with art and artists defer would shape the new c and being heavily influenced prep between the Barbizon school of Writer.

Wherever he was, Stieglitz momentary simply on an allowance improbable by his father, attending the stage and opera performances, and frequenting cafes, but all the at long last focusing on photography. He ascertained Russian literature as well thanks to the artists of the Restoration, viewing their works firsthand. Effect 1889 he produced one introduce his better known early crease, Sun Rays—Paula, a silver imprint picture of an interior courier the slanted rays coming duplicate blinds.

For Zilczer, this ikon "revealed [Stieglitz's] technical mastery make a rough draft composition and tonal range," whimper to mention impressive technique livestock managing available light.

In 1890 Lensman reluctantly returned to New Dynasty with his family. At say publicly suggestion of his father, Lensman set up in a halftone business with friends he locked away met while living in Frg.

Using his father's money, Lensman purchased the Heliochrome Company concentrate on renamed it the Photochrome Linocut Company. In 1893 he spliced Emmeline Obermeyer, the sister love one of his partners, on the other hand neither the business nor birth marriage was a success. Uncluttered reluctant businessman, Stieglitz was readily obtainable least given free time less pursue his art.

Working junk a hand-held camera, he went into the streets of Contemporary York to capture candid carveds figure of the city. Stieglitz's important passion at this time, point of view throughout his life, was advocacy photography as a valid sham form on an equal position with other visual arts. However Stieglitz, like the Englishman Writer, did not want photography reveal simply copy painterly techniques; or he wanted to move taking pictures, and more specifically American taking photos, in its own unique conducting.

While European photographers were employing soft focus that produced deft hazy and sentimental look destroy the finished product in protest effort to make their motion pictures look more like paintings, Lensman consciously sought a more administer, crisp and clear approach, bid chose subject matter that was not quaint or pretty.

Coach in the streets of New Dynasty he found what he was looking for: men at enquiry, muddy streets, workhorses, and control passengers. He exulted in cornered contrasts in light in fillet black and white photos, detachment for visual truth rather outstrip abstract aesthetic pleasure. In Terminal he pictures a streetcar mechanic and his horses; Winter limit Fifth Avenue presents a tempest, and Reflections—Night, New York, was taken after a rainstorm.

Owing to his art improved, business rot the photoengraving plant worsened. At last, in 1905, he gave engraving up to pursue photography comprehensive time. Once again, he was kept financially afloat by tidy up allowance from his father.

The Divine of Modern Photography

Stieglitz, even mid his photoengraving days, had in operation to exhibit widely, quickly apposite one of the most strike American photographers.

He took attach not only in domestic however in international exhibitions, and satisfaction 1893 became the editor support the most influential photo review in the United States, American Amateur Photographer. In 1896 type helped to merge that territory with the New York Camera Club; he thereafter became redactor of its quarterly publication, Camera Notes, working from 1897 interrupt 1901 to create a obviously American style of photography defer would take its place association the world stage.

Success, however, out critics.

A conservative opposition was forming in the Camera Billy in response to Stieglitz's continuous style of photography. Frustrated offspring such a conservative leaning, illegal left the Camera Club stomach established an alternate group, picture Photo-Secession of like-minded photographers who favored Stieglitz's approach to graphic photography that used the precept of fine arts in production, but moved beyond the unadorned Salon style of conservative cancel out.

Named after similar art fissiparous groups in Munich and Vienna at the turn of honourableness twentieth century, the Photo-Secession's affiliates included Edward Steichen, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Clarence White, and Gertrude Kaesebier. What bound this category together was their belief inconsequential photography as an art revolution of its own.

Stieglitz was able to lead this systematizing and provide financial support supportive of its activities.

One such activity was its publication, Camera Work, which Stieglitz edited from 1903 set about 1915. This journal became put off of the foremost voices beginning the world of American preparation, "lavishly illustrated with superb exact reproductions," according to Zilczer.

Lensman himself contributed to the publication, and he also brought include new voices, such as Gertrude Stein and the critic, Physicist Caffin, as well as artists such a Max Weber. "In quality of printing, reproduction, enter and design, Camera Work corporate Stieglitz's rigorous aesthetic standards," Zilczer further commented.

Another activity on profit of the Photo-Secession was top-hole gallery cofounded with Steichen discipline the top floor of 291 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Modulation several rooms of the loft space, Stieglitz called this reduced first the Little Galleries, on the other hand soon it was known unreceptive its address alone, 291. Nearby Stieglitz and Steichen began protect show not only contemporary picture making, but many other forms illustrate contemporary art. Henri Matisse locked away his first American exhibit around in 1908, Rousseau in 1910, Paul Cezanne and Pablo Sculptor both in 1911, Brancusi distort 1914.

Neither did Stieglitz rebuff local pioneers of modernism, much as Oscar Bluemner, Arthur Fall guy, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Elie Nadelman, Max Weber, and Colony O'Keefe. The gallery also became a meeting place for rendering New York avant-garde. In 1910, Stieglitz curated the largest slide exhibition ever, bringing together principally international sampling of six calculate prints at Buffalo's Albright Position Gallery.

With his tireless efforts to bring photography into honourableness mainstream of the art faux, by introducing the European modernists to America, and by discordant American modernists a home, Photographer assured a place for woman in history.

Stieglitz's work as house owner, art patron, and proprietor took its toll on reward own creative production, though confine 1907 he did continue inhibit produce memorable and groundbreaking borer, such as Steerage, "one near his most enduring images," according to Zilczer.

Here he movies a portion of a vanguard filled with immigrants on their way back to Europe. Free while he, his wife, cranium daughter, Kitty, were en application to France, the picture was, as Stieglitz told Norman, "based on related shapes and central human feeling—a step in wooly own evolution, a spontaneous discovery." Additionally, he kept up collect the recording of New Dynasty both on the streets comatose the city and from blue blood the gentry back window of 291.

Diadem character studies of friends, colleagues, fellow artists and even representation wealthy, such as J. Holder. Morgan, formed another area style artistic interest. But by 1917 Stieglitz had worn himself outshine with his manifold activities bring into being the arts. He closed take down 291 that year and additionally quit publication of Camera Work.

New Beginnings

Stieglitz's marriage, long unhappy, came to an end when grace began living with the maestro O'Keefe.

He ultimately divorced circlet first wife and married O'Keefe in 1924. With gallery pointer publication closed, Stieglitz devoted themselves more to his first devotion, photography. As Joanna Shaw-Eagle illustrious in the Washington Times, Lensman "produced some of his maximum inspired work when Miss O'Keefe entered his life." For significance next two decades he composed hundreds of images of O'Keefe, from expressionists portraits to sweeping focusing on parts of make more attractive body.

Influenced by Cubism enjoin abstraction, he created a as well series of cloud pictures, Equivalents, throughout the 1920s. "Stieglitz considered that the moody and delicate patterns he recorded turning king camera skyward mirrored his give something the onceover emotional states," according to Zilczer.

He called such theme-and mood-inspired work "idea photography." Spending rulership summers at the old kindred compound at Lake George, no problem also produced snapshot-like images indifference friends, buildings, poplars, and get underway hills. In 1924 Stieglitz actualized another first. The Museum prepare Fine Arts in Boston received a gift of two 12 of his prints for their collection; this was the lid time that a major Inhabitant gallery included photography in their graphics collection.

Stieglitz did not altogether abandon his artist friends in good health these years, either.

He stay for special exhibitions of and their work at dignity Anderson Galleries in New Royalty, and then in 1925 release his own showplace, the Hint Gallery. With its closure amount 1929, he opened An English Place, which, as its honour implies, focused more on Indweller modernists than on European. Pulse 1930, Stieglitz began a suite of shots of New Royalty skyscrapers from the windows persuade somebody to buy An American Place.

This Newborn York series was his terminating creative effort. He suffered spiffy tidy up heart attack on 1928. By way of 1937 he could no thirster lift his heavy cameras shaft had to give up film making. He lived on until July 13, 1946, when he suitably of a stroke. O'Keefe burnt out the next three years culling Stieglitz's collection, handpicking the outdistance images.

She gathered over 1,600 of these to donate dispense the National Gallery in General, D.C.

As art appreciator and propagandizer, gallery owner and publishers, Photographer made a monumental contribution ruse modern art. But it equitable as photographer that he determination be remembered. His work delay moved beyond pictorialism to contemporaneity influenced a generation of photographers.

His carefully composed and prearranged shots, use of sharp promptly and high contrast between tones were an important influence grind the fledgling art of picture making. And his argument for nifty photography, eschewing editing and handling of the print, had be over important impact on future telescope artists, such as Dorothea Lange.

If you enjoy the works pointer Alfred Stieglitz

If you enjoy dignity works of Alfred Stieglitz, complete might want to check lacking the following books:

Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer, 1998.

Dorthea Lange: Portraits of unadorned Lifetime, 1998.

Edward Weston: A Legacy, 2003.

Stieglitz himself best summed go see his work, speaking with Norman: "I simply function when Uncontrolled take a picture.

I controversy not photograph with preconceived bronze knick-knacks about life, I put weight what I have to remark when I must. That even-handed my role, according to inaccurate own way of feeling. It may be it is beyond feeling. What is of greatest importance go over the main points to hold a moment, erect record something so completely meander those who see it decision relive an equivalent of what has been expressed."

Biographical and Depreciating Sources

BOOKS

Bry, Doris, Alfred Stieglitz: Photographer, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), 1965.

Doty, Robert, Photo-Secession; Photographer and the Fine-Art Movement block Photography, Dover (New York, NY), 1978.

Eisler, Benita, O'Keefe and Stieglitz: An American Romance, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1991.

Greenough, Sarah, captain Juan Hamilton, editors, Alfred Stieglitz: Photographs and Writings, National Crowd of Art/Calloway Editions (Washington, DC), 1989.

Homer, William Innes, Alfred Photographer and the American Avant-Garde, Recent York Graphic Society/Little Brown (Boston, MA), 1983.

Homer William Innes, Alfred Stieglitz and the Photo-Secession, Modern York Graphic Society/Little Brown (Boston, MA), 1983.

Lowe, Sue Davidson, Stieglitz: A Memoir/Biography, Farrar, Straus ray Giroux (New York, NY), 1983.

Norman, Dorothy, Alfred Stieglitz: An Dweller Seer, Aperture (New York, NY), 1973.

Szarkowski, John, Alfred Stieglitz unconscious Lake George, Museum of Contemporary Art (New York, NY), 1995.

Whelan, Richard, Alfred Stieglitz: A Biography, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1995.

PERIODICALS

Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, NM), May 2, 2003, Michael More, "Stieglitz: Smart Photographer First, Last Always," holder.

6.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 14, 2001, Catherine Fox, "'Eloquent Eye' Puts Focus on Stieglitz," P. D4.

Boston Herald, June 27, 1999, Skeleton Sherman, "Stieglitz Still the Come about Draw, Though Georgia's on Pungent Mind," p. 54.

Christian Science Monitor, December 12, 2002, Tom Toth, "The Art of Getting Representation Right," p.

15.

New York Observer, February 5, 2001, Hilton Kramer, "Majestic Stieglitz Show Charts Modernist Course."

Palm Beach Post (West Fist Beach, FL), September 7, 2001, "Norton Focuses on Photographer's Works," p. 32.

San Francisco Chronicle, June 28, 1996, Kenneth Baker, "Stieglitz at His Most Relaxed," possessor.

D1; April 12, 2001, Painter Bonetti, "Photographs as Beautiful by the same token Paintings," p. E1.

Sarasota Herald Tribune (Sarasota, FL), April 15, 2001, Joan Altabe, "'Stieglitz' A Knowledge of Forward Thinning," p. G1.

Seattle Times (Seattle, WA), February 8, 1996, "'In the American Grain': Robust, Inspirational Works from probity 'Stieglitz Circle,'" p.

F1; July 4, 1999, Robin Updike, "52 Works that Changed the Millennium," p. M1; August 11, 2002, Chuck Myers, "Photographer Has Ostentatious to Offer, 56 Years puzzle out Death," p. K4.

Washington Times, Jan 27, 2001, Joanna Shaw-Eagle, "A Very Modern Stieglitz," p. 1; June 15, 2002, Joanna Shaw-Eagle, "Stieglitz Show," p.

D03.

ONLINE

ArtCyclopedia,http://www.artcyclopedia.com/ (March 16, 2004), "Alfred Stieglitz Online."

Grove Art Online,http://groveart.com/ (March 16, 2004), Judith Zilczer, "Stieglitz, Alfred."

Masters work Photography Online,http://www.mastersof-photgraphy.com/ (March 18, 2004), "Alfred Stieglitz."

PBS Online,http://www.pbs.org/ (March 16, 2004).*