Georgia Engelhard 1920

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, 'Georgia Engelhard', using a platinum print. It presents a nude woman reclining in an outdoor setting and its meaning can be interpreted through the cultural and social context of its time. Stieglitz was a key figure in promoting photography as a fine art in the United States. He challenged the established art institutions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which often dismissed photography as merely a mechanical process. This image reflects the Pictorialist movement, which sought to elevate photography by emphasizing artistic composition and emotional expression. The choice of a nude subject situates the image in relation to the art historical canon, while its naturalistic setting speaks to an early-20th-century interest in naturalism and the outdoors. By examining period journals, exhibition catalogues, and critical reviews, we gain insights into how Stieglitz's photographs were received and understood within the art world. The interpretation of art is contingent on the social and institutional contexts in which it emerges and circulates.