Georgia O'Keeffe 1922

Alfred Stieglitz made this portrait of Georgia O’Keeffe with his camera; a dance of light and shadow revealing the contours of her face. Look at the stark contrast! Stieglitz plays with light in a way that reminds me of chiaroscuro in Baroque painting. Her face emerges from the darkness, the textures of her skin rendered with an almost sculptural quality. The gaze is intense, unwavering. There’s a directness to her expression, a sense of self-possession, that speaks volumes. Consider the way the light falls across her cheekbones, highlighting the planes of her face. It’s a study in form and presence. I can't help but think of other artist couples, like Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, and how their creative partnerships shaped their individual practices. Art is always in conversation, a back-and-forth between artists, ideas, and ways of seeing.