From The Shelton, New York, 30th Floor—Looking North 1927

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph from the Shelton Hotel in New York. What's striking is the way the different buildings fade into the sky, as if they are dissolving. This feels less like a record of a scene and more like a meditation on the changing atmosphere and the ways buildings interact with the sky. Look at how the textures become flatter as they move away from the foreground. The whole scene is rendered in greys and blacks, of course, but the eye is drawn to the lighter tones of the buildings. Note how the contrast decreases with distance, creating a sense of depth, as if the city were breathing. This focus on atmosphere and mood reminds me a little of Whistler's nocturnes, where the city is just a suggestion of a scene. Both artists are interested in the fleeting qualities of light and air, capturing a moment in time that is both specific and universal. It’s the kind of picture that invites you to dream.