Margaret Treadwell 1921

This photograph, “Margaret Treadwell,” was captured by Alfred Stieglitz at an unknown date. Looking at it, I imagine Stieglitz carefully positioning his subject, playing with light and shadow to sculpt her features, almost as if he’s painting with light. The monochrome palette gives it such a timeless, almost dreamlike quality. It makes me think about Georgia O'Keeffe and her own explorations of form and texture, particularly in her flower paintings. There’s a similar sensitivity here, a search for the essence of the subject. I wonder what Stieglitz and Treadwell were thinking, what their relationship was like. Was it a collaborative process or a more solitary exploration? Stieglitz and other artists are in conversation with one another across time, constantly pushing the boundaries of what photography can achieve. They show us different ways of seeing and experiencing the world, inviting us to bring our own interpretations to the art.