Barn c. 1935

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Barn, with gelatin silver print. The monochrome palette is so interesting; it’s like the building is emerging from the shadows and it invites a particular kind of seeing. The print is so crisp, you can almost smell the wood and feel its texture. The way the light catches on the planks creates a rhythm of dark and light. Look at the lower-left corner. The wall there is constructed of stone, and you can see the gaps where the mortar has crumbled or fallen away. The surface is irregular and rough, a stark contrast to the smooth glass of the windows. This one little area really speaks to the passage of time and the way nature reclaims what was once built. It's interesting to consider his peers, like the painter Marsden Hartley. They were both finding a modern, almost abstract beauty in the American landscape. It reminds us that art isn't about answers but about the questions we ask and how we see.