Singer Building from Hudson River Possibly 1910 - 1934

This photograph, Singer Building from Hudson River, was shot by Alfred Stieglitz, and like a painting, it has a real material presence. Look at how the different tones of gray create depth and atmosphere. The light reflecting off the water is so beautiful and delicate, you can see how Stieglitz was playing with light as a painter might play with color. The way the plumes of smoke rise and blend into the clouds, it’s as if the city itself is breathing, a living, organic thing. I’m struck by the almost painterly quality of the sky. The clouds aren’t just clouds; they’re like brushstrokes, smudges of gray against a lighter background. It reminds me of the work of Gerhard Richter, who also explored the blurred boundaries between photography and painting. Like Richter, Stieglitz embraces ambiguity, inviting us to see the world not as a fixed reality, but as an ever-changing play of light and shadow.