Trees 1924 - 1927

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Trees, using gelatin silver print, a process that helped move photography into the art gallery. Stieglitz was a key figure in the Photo-Secession movement. He championed photography as a fine art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when painting and sculpture dominated the art world. Think about this image in relation to other artistic movements of the time, like Impressionism, which also focused on capturing fleeting moments and the effects of light. In this image, the trees reach towards a sky filled with dramatic clouds. The stark contrast and moody atmosphere align with the Photo-Secession's goal of emphasizing the photographer's artistic vision over purely documentary representation. Stieglitz was deeply invested in the institutional validation of photography, opening his own gallery in New York City to promote the medium. By studying period publications and the archives of galleries like Stieglitz's "291", we can better understand his role in shaping photography's place in the cultural landscape.