A Street in Bellagio Possibly 1894 - 1896

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, titled "A Street in Bellagio," with gelatin silver. It is an exploration of form as much as it is a portrait of place. Stieglitz was a key figure in the Photo-Secession movement in the United States at the turn of the 20th century. This movement sought to establish photography as a fine art form, equal to painting and sculpture. They used soft focus, alternative printing processes, and carefully composed images to distance themselves from the straightforward documentary style that photography was then known for. "A Street in Bellagio" exemplifies these goals. By photographing a commonplace scene in Italy, Stieglitz elevates the ordinary into the realm of art, inviting viewers to appreciate the abstract qualities of light, shadow, and architectural form. The institutional context of photography was changing rapidly in the early 20th century. To learn more, explore the archives of Camera Work, the journal Stieglitz founded to promote photography as art.