George F. Of
1916
Medium
platinum print
Dimensions
image: 23.9 x 18.9 cm (9 7/16 x 7 7/16 in.) sheet: 25.2 x 20.3 cm (9 15/16 x 8 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Accession Number
1949.3.376
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Alfred Stieglitz's *George F. Of*1916) is a platinum print that captures the artist's commitment to photography as a fine art. As a pioneering figure in American photography, Stglitz championed the medium's legitimacy through his groundbreaking exhibitions at Gallery 291 in New York, where he introduced modern European artists like Picasso and Matisse to U.S. audiences. This portrait, measuring nearly 10 by 7 inches, reflects his shift toward "straight photography," emphasizing clarity and emotional depth over Pictorialist manipulation. The platinum print medium was Stieglitz's preferred choice for its exceptional tonal range—from velvety blacks to subtle highlights—offering a richness unmatched by other processes. Prized for its longevity and subtlety, it allowed Stieglitz to render fine details with poetic precision, making this work a testament to early 20th-century innovation amid World War I's upheavals. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Alfred Stieglitz Collection, it invites viewers to ponder the personal connections behind his lens, blending technical mastery with human insight.
About the Artist
Alfred Stieglitz · 1864–1946
Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) was a pioneering American photographer, art dealer, publisher, and advocate for the Modernist movement who was instrumental over his 50-year career in making photography an accepted art form. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to German Jewish immigrant parents, Stieglitz spent his formative years studying mechanical engineering in Berlin, where he discovered photography in ...