Construction, New York Possibly 1911 - 1934

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph in New York, but we don't know exactly when. It's a small work, a silver gelatin print. The photograph feels like an etching, almost like something by Whistler, with all of its atmosphere and monochromatic, limited tonal range. Here, the process isn't about a decisive moment, but about atmosphere and suggestion. The steam pouring from the earth creates a thick veil, blurring the boundary between the industrial activity and the sky. Look how Stieglitz captures the steam, almost as if it's the real subject of the image. It rises and dissipates, obscuring and revealing at once. It’s like the way we build up layers of paint, adding and subtracting, in a dance of revealing and concealing. This photograph has the feel of Symbolist paintings, the way it captures a fleeting moment and imbues it with a sense of mystery. It’s not just a construction site, it’s a mood, a feeling, and that makes all the difference.