Georgia O'Keeffe—Feet 1918

This photograph by Alfred Stieglitz, titled "Georgia O'Keeffe—Feet," is a gelatin silver print, a process that was widespread at the beginning of the 20th century, but nonetheless required skill. The photograph's focus on Georgia O'Keeffe's feet, hands, and knees, emphasizes the tactile qualities of skin and bone through the monochromatic tones. The silver gelatin process enhanced the textural contrast between the smooth skin, the creases of her knuckles, and the simple cotton dress. Stieglitz likely chose this medium for its capacity to capture the sensuous form of the body, but this aesthetic could also be tied to social issues of labor, as hands and feet are essential tools of the worker. Ultimately, "Georgia O'Keeffe—Feet" asks us to consider photography not just as a means of documentation but as an art form, in which the choice of materials, making processes, and conceptual framing, contribute to the work's complex cultural and social meaning.