Charles Duncan c. 1916

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph of Charles Duncan at an unknown date with an unknown medium. I imagine Stieglitz wanted to capture something about the art world at that time, which was in the throes of modernism. The picture plane feels crowded with dark tones. Is Duncan emerging or receding into the inky darkness that seems to be swallowing him whole? Stieglitz is using light to sculpt his features, highlighting the cheekbones, the elegant, long nose, the quizzical brow, and the full lips. The artist’s eyes look up and to the left as if he is looking at another plane of existence, perhaps trying to divine what the future holds for him. The camera lens has a clear view of his soul. What was Duncan thinking? Was he hopeful? Anxious? Stieglitz, like a painter, reminds us that artists are in an ongoing conversation. Each artwork contributes to the larger narrative of art history, inspiring creativity, and allowing for multiple interpretations of meaning.