Georgia O'Keeffe—Breasts
1919
Medium
palladium print
Dimensions
image: 22.5 x 19.1 cm (8 7/8 x 7 1/2 in.) sheet: 24.2 x 20.2 cm (9 1/2 x 7 15/16 in.) mat: 55.9 x 46.3 cm (22 x 18 1/4 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Accession Number
1980.70.108
Art Historical Context
In 1919, pioneering photographer Alfred Stieglitz captured this intimate palladium print portrait titled *Georgia O'Keeffe—Breasts*, part of his extensive series documenting his muse and future wife, Georgia O'Keeffe. Measuring a modest 22.5 x 19.1 cm, the image exemplifies Stieglitz's shift from Pictorialist soft-focus effects toward "straight photography," emphasizing clarity and emotional depth. The palladium process, a variation of platinum printing, yields subtle tonal gradations and exceptional archival stability, allowing the viewer to appreciate the fine details of form and light. Sti...
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 ...