Georgia O'Keeffe 1936 - 1937

Curator: This is a portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe, captured by Alfred Stieglitz between 1936 and 1937. It's a gelatin silver print. Editor: There’s an immediacy here, almost austere. The unpainted floor, the stark white dress; it’s not a romanticized image. Curator: Precisely. Stieglitz and O’Keeffe had a complex relationship, personally and professionally. The portrait sits within his broader investigation of American modernism, gender dynamics, and representation. Think about the power dynamics at play – the male photographer framing the female artist, the way her image circulated and shaped perceptions of her identity. Editor: I notice the setting, though—a porch, a transitional space between inside and out. This could symbolize the different roles O'Keeffe occupied – artist, woman, public figure. There is something so simple about it but its a statement for the time. It makes you reflect. Curator: I would argue that, her face is serious, isn't it? We tend to associate O’Keeffe with her sensual flower paintings, but here, Stieglitz captures a very different side. There's strength and a self-assuredness that transcends conventional notions of beauty. In my view it is more about O'Keeffe herself as a human rather than simply the beauty of O'Keefe that many others tried to portray. Editor: Absolutely. Those clasped hands…they remind me of a similar posture often seen in religious iconography, a sign of contemplation and inner strength. Curator: Indeed, you could even suggest the peeling paint and bare feet, while seemingly ordinary, challenge idealized depictions of women prevalent at the time. Editor: Considering Stieglitz's established lens, he aimed to present the figure without additional artifice, stripped down. It forces you to contend with the complex layers of her identity beyond simply the beautiful face of his wife. Curator: Which gets us back to our initial thoughts. I see a very intimate capture, that allows for further investigation into her as an icon of her time and after it. Editor: Yes, and by examining those intersecting layers, the piece grants lasting food for thought on O’Keeffe.