Fiola Flannery, Kitty Stieglitz
1902
Medium
Platinum print
Dimensions
Image/paper: 11.3 × 16.6 cm (4 1/2 × 6 9/16 in.); First hinged paper: 12.5 × 17.7 cm (4 15/16 × 7 in.); Second hinged paper: 19 × 25.5 cm (7 1/2 × 10 1/16 in.)
Classification
platinum print
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
20340
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Alfred Stieglitz's *Fiola Flannery Kitty Stieglitz (1902) captures an intimate moment between his young daughter, Kitty, and Fiola Flannery, a family friend or relative. Shot during Stieglitz's formative years as a photographer in New York, this platinum print exemplifies his early mastery of portraiture, blending personal tenderness with artistic ambition. As a pioneer of modern photography, Stiegl co-founded the Photo-Sec movement in 1902, advocating for the medium as a fine art equal to painting. The platinum print medium, favored by Pictorialists for its exquisite tonal gradations and subtle matte surface, lends the image a dreamlike softness and depth. Measuring a modest 11.3 × 16.6 cm, it invites close viewing, revealing Stieglitz's skillful use of natural light and composition to evoke emotion and character—hallmarks of his push against photography's documentary roots. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media department, this work highlights Stieglitz's personal life amid his revolutionary efforts. Through images like this, he humanized photography, paving the way for its acceptance in museums and influencing generations of artists.
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 ...