Georgia O'Keeffe—Hands
1919
Medium
palladium print
Dimensions
image: 23.6 x 19.4 cm (9 5/16 x 7 5/8 in.) sheet: 25.1 x 20.1 cm (9 7/8 x 7 15/16 in.) mat: 50.8 x 38.1 cm (20 x 15 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Accession Number
1980.70.120
Art Historical Context
In 1919, pioneering photographer Alfred Stieglitz captured the elegant hands of his wife, Georgia O'Keeffe, in this intimate palladium print titled *Georgia O'Keeffe—Hands*. Measuring about 9½ x 7⅝ inches, the image exemplifies Stieglitz's mastery of the medium, using palladium—a platinum-group metal—for its exceptionally rich tonal range, subtle gradations, and archival permanence. This technique, favored by Stieglitz in his later works, elevated photography to fine art, rivaling traditional paintings in depth and nuance. Stieglitz, a founder of the Photo-Secession movement, championed "stra...
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 ...