The Street, Fifth Avenue Possibly 1900 - 1904

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, "The Street, Fifth Avenue," with a camera and platinum in the early years of the 20th century. This image epitomizes Stieglitz's ambition to elevate photography to the level of fine art, challenging the prevailing artistic norms of the time. Made in New York, the photograph portrays a bustling Fifth Avenue, obscured by snow and atmospheric conditions. This captures the burgeoning modernity of the United States, and the relationship between urban life and nature. Stieglitz was a key figure in the Photo-Secession movement, advocating for photography as a medium of personal expression, like painting. By studying period journals, exhibition catalogs, and critical reviews, we can uncover the social and cultural forces that shaped Stieglitz's artistic vision and assess the evolving reception of photography within the established art world.