Margaret Naumburg 1920

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Margaret Naumburg at some point during his career. The image is sepia toned, with soft gradations, a process of building tone that feels similar to applying layers of glazes in painting. Look at how the light in the photograph catches the beads of Naumburg’s necklace. This area shimmers with detail, like a cluster of tiny abstract marks, in contrast to the smoothness of her face. Her eyes, in particular, seem to look directly out to us, with a level of engagement that feels very modern. Her gaze feels active, not passive. Stieglitz was a pioneer in photography, exploring how photography could be as expressive and personal as painting. You can see something of the symbolist painters in his work, like Odilon Redon, with a similar interest in the psychological dimensions of portraiture. Ultimately, the best artworks teach us to see in new ways.