Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864–1946). The Street, Fifth Avenue, 1896. Photogravure, 26 x 19 1/2 inches (66 x 49.5 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; General Fund, 1911 (1911:9.11).
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it not only innovative styles of art but also new artistic mediums. In addition to establishing the gallery 291, Alfred Stieglitz was also a staunch advocate of the Photo-Secessionist and Pictorialist photography movements in the United States, both of which were concerned with elevating photography from a method of simply recording to an art form. In 1900, Stieglitz met Edward Steichen, and the two were soon united in their efforts. These were vigorously promoted in Camera Work, an influential journal that Stieglitz founded as a platform for discussions on the theoretical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of the modern photographic process. In 1910, he was invited to serve as guest curator of the International Exhibition of Pictorial Photography, a groundbreaking presentation at the Albright Art Gallery. It was the first exhibition organized by an American museum that aimed to elevate photography’s stature from a purely scientific pursuit to a visual form of artistic expression.
Label from Picasso: The Artist and His Models, November 5, 2016–February 19, 2017
