Aileen Flannery
1902
Medium
Platinum print
Dimensions
Image/paper: 13.2 × 10.4 cm (5 1/4 × 4 1/8 in.); First hinged paper: 13.5 × 10.6 cm (5 3/8 × 4 3/16 in.); Second hinged paper: 27.2 × 19.4 cm (10 3/4 × 7 11/16 in.)
Classification
platinum print
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
20338
Art Historical Context
Alfred Stieglitz's *Aileen Flannery* (1902) is a poignant platinum print portrait that captures the innocence and subtle expressiveness of its young subject. Measuring just 13.2 × 10.4 cm, this intimate image exemplifies Stieglitz's mastery in elevating photography to the level of fine art during the early 20th century. As a leader of the Pictorialist movement, Stieglitz sought to imbue photographs with the emotional depth and painterly qualities of traditional paintings, blurring the lines between media. The platinum print medium was revolutionary for its time, prized for its exceptional ton...
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 ...