House on the Hill 1935 - 1936

Alfred Stieglitz made this gelatin silver print, "House on the Hill," and what strikes me is how he's wrestling with light, almost like a painter wrestles with colour. Look how the textures play out across the frame. The rough, almost furry texture of the trees contrast with the smooth planes of the house, and the gentle gradations in the sky. There’s a subtle tonal range, like a quiet hum that vibrates between the darks and lights. I'm really drawn to the subtle, almost concealed details in the shadows of the house. It’s like he’s whispering secrets there. Stieglitz, like his contemporary Edward Steichen, moved photography towards the territory of painting, bringing an emotional charge and an appreciation of tone and texture to the image. Like a painting, this work is full of quiet ambiguity. There is no single meaning, just an invitation to look and feel.