Equivalent
1925
Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to image): 9 x 11.7 cm (3 9/16 x 4 5/8 in.) mount: 34.1 x 27.5 cm (13 7/16 x 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Accession Number
1949.3.921
Art Historical Context
Alfred Stieglitz's *Equivalent* (1925 is a striking gelatin silver print, a medium that became a cornerstone of modernist photography for its rich tonal range and sharp detail. Measuring just 9 x 11.7 cm on its trimmed sheet but presented on a generous 34.1 x 27.5 cm mount, this intimate image exemplifies Stieglitz's vision photography as fine art. Part of his renowned "Equivalents" series, it captures clouds in abstract form, inviting viewers to interpret natural forms as emotional or spiritual resonances—much like music evokes feelings without literal depiction. Stieglitz, a pivotal figure ...
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 ...