November Days

About this artwork

For more on the Alfred Stieglitz collection at the Art Institute, along with in-depth object information, please visit the website: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection.

Art Historical Context

**November Days** (1887, printed 1920–39) by Alfred Stieglitz captures the moody essence of a late autumn landscape, made when the artist was just 23 and honing his craft during travels in Europe. Stieglitz, a pioneering force in American photography, took this image early in his career, yet chose to print it decades later using the gelatin silver process—a versatile medium that allowed for rich tonal depth and subtle gradations. This "developing-out-paper" print exemplifies the technical precision he championed, where light-sensitive silver halides in gelatin emulsion produced sharp, luminous results upon development. As a cornerstone of the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media collection, *November Days* reflects Stieglitz's early pictorialist leanings, blending photography's realism with painting's emotional resonance. His advocacy through the Photo-Secession group in the early 1900s elevated photography to museum-worthy art, and reissuing this work in the 1920s–30s underscores his lifelong commitment to its enduring power. Visitors will appreciate how this intimate 19.3 × 13.4 cm image evokes quiet introspection, inviting us to linger on nature's subtle transitions—just as Stieglitz urged us to see the camera's eye as equal to the painter's brush.

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 ...