THE STEERAGE

Stieglitz, Alfred

Verlag: [N.p., 1911

Beschreibung

Photogravure, 7 1/4 x 6 inches. Fine. Matted and framed. THE STEERAGE is one of the most acclaimed photographs ever taken, and its influence on the development of the medium cannot be understated. The image represents a turning point in the evolution of photography, and also a landmark moment in the career of celebrated photographer Alfred Stieglitz - many have hailed it as the artist's first truly "modernist" picture. After an illustrious career, Stieglitz recognized THE STEERAGE's importance in his oeuvre: "If all my photographs were lost, and I'd be represented by just one, THE STEERAGE, I'd be satisfied." Alfred Stieglitz was an extremely influential figure in the history of photography. From the beginning of his career in the late 19th century, Stieglitz was dedicated to elevating the medium of photography to the status of a fine art. He believed photographs to be aesthetic works, not simply documentary records, and that the photographer was more akin to a craftsperson than to a machine operator. To this end, he founded the Photo-Secession exhibition society, and its associated periodical, CAMERA WORK, to promote photography as an artistic medium. THE STEERAGE in particular is evidence of Stieglitz's tireless advocacy for his medium. He reproduced it not only in CAMERA WORK but also in popular magazines such as VANITY FAIR and the SATURDAY EVENING POST. Stieglitz himself oversaw the printing of this image when it was reproduced for CAMERA WORK, creating a special link between this particular print and the artist himself. Stieglitz captured this image during a 1907 sea voyage from New York to Bremen, Germany. It depicts the steerage-class passengers - most likely immigrants who were denied entry into the United States and who were making the solemn journey back to Europe - aboard the ocean liner Kaiser Wilhelm II. Although the image has historically been viewed as a monument to the immigrant experience, Stieglitz was actually more interested in the formal elements of the composition than any social message. Reflecting on his experience making the image, Stieglitz said, "As I came to the end of the [deck of the ship] I stood alone, looking down. The whole scene fascinated me.I saw a picture of shapes and underlying that the feeling I had about life.Here would be a picture based on related shapes and on the deepest human feeling, a step in my own evolution, a spontaneous discovery." Abandoning his previous Pictorialist style that favored a single, central subject, and a clear narrative, THE STEERAGE focuses instead on shape and line and thus represents a critical moment in the development of his art. Describing the scene, Stieglitz recalled, "A round straw hat, the funnel leading out, the stairway leaning right, the white drawbridge with its railings made of circular chains - white suspenders crossing on the back of a man in the steerage below, round shapes of iron machinery, a mast cutting into the sky, making a triangular shape. I stood spellbound for a while, looking and looking.". Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers WRCAM51766

Bibliografische Details

Titel: THE STEERAGE

Verlag: [N.p.

Erscheinungsdatum: 1911