Georgia O'Keeffe c. 1933

This is Alfred Stieglitz's photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe. Stieglitz, a champion of modern art, met O'Keeffe in 1916, beginning a complex personal and professional relationship. The photograph is one of many Stieglitz took of O'Keeffe. These images helped construct O'Keeffe's public persona as both a modern artist and a modern woman, playing with ideas of beauty, independence, and artistic genius. Yet, it also raises questions about the male gaze and the power dynamics inherent in their relationship. Was O'Keeffe truly seen, or was she being molded into an image that served Stieglitz's artistic vision? Consider how O'Keeffe navigated these complexities, asserting her own artistic vision even as she was being framed by another. Think about what it meant for a woman artist to gain recognition in the early 20th century, and the trade-offs that might have been involved.