From the Back-Window—291 1915

This photogravure by Alfred Stieglitz captures a nocturnal cityscape, emphasizing the stark geometry of urban architecture punctuated by the soft glow of illuminated windows. The windows symbolize not only shelter but also the hidden, private lives unfolding within, much like the domestic hearth in Renaissance paintings, symbolizing warmth and communal life. Consider the single illuminated window, reminiscent of Caspar David Friedrich's solitary figures gazing into the infinite, or the isolated light in Edward Hopper's urban scenes. Light is a motif present since the dawn of time, symbolizing knowledge, safety, and hope, contrasting with the enveloping darkness that represents ignorance, danger, or the unknown. The arrangement is not linear but cyclical, as each generation interprets and reinvents these symbols. Stieglitz's photograph, bathed in monochrome, elicits a somber yet contemplative mood, echoing the anxieties and aspirations of a society on the brink of modernity, revealing the collective memory of light and darkness that is hardwired in our psyche.