Largely recognized as the patriarch of American Modernism in the early 20th century, Alfred Stieglitz tirelessly championed the works of numerous fledging American and European artists at his galleries. His first gallery, Little Galleries of the Photo Secession, lasted from 1904 to 1917; the next, Intimate Gallery, a space he had been designated within Anderson Galleries, ran from 1925 to 1929; and lastly, An American Place, lasted from 1929 until his death in 1946. Steiglitz’s galleries were a hub for avant-garde intellectuals, writers, philosophers and artists, who would jointly engage in Modernist discourse. In the current lot, the self-taught sculptor Ernest Gutman is seen at An American Place. His close proximity to the camera and the direct eye-contact with Stieglitz speak of their fondness for each other. This is further enhanced by the fact that by the time the portrait was taken, Stieglitz had largely ceased taking photographs of his friends and peers, and reserved his portraits for only those to whom he felt particularly close.

This contact print is from the artist’s 8 x 10 in. negative, and was mounted later by Doris Bry, per Georgia O’Keeffe’s instructions. Doris Bry began her association with Georgia O’Keeffe in 1947 and is considered one of the leading specialists in the life and work of both Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz. This print is one of three recorded prints of this image. The remaining two prints are in the collections of The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. and The Cleveland Museum of Art.