From Room 303 (Intimate Gallery)—489 Park Avenue—New York 1927

Alfred Stieglitz made this gelatin silver print, called "From Room 303", without a date, using his camera to explore line, shape and form in the modern world. The silvery tones are quite beautiful, aren't they? The whole thing’s about texture, from the scaffolding at the top, to the rows and rows of windows below, to the older buildings in the foreground. All these different surfaces create a feeling of depth and space. Look how the sunlight falls across the buildings, creating a dramatic contrast between light and shadow. It's like the city is a stage, and the buildings are actors in a play. But what kind of play? Is it a tragedy, a comedy, or something else entirely? The eye travels up and down the image searching for detail in the different structures, and they invite you to wonder and dream, and think. It reminds me a little of the work of Charles Sheeler, another American modernist who was interested in capturing the beauty of the industrial landscape. And like Sheeler, Stieglitz reminds us that art can be found in the most unexpected places, even in the middle of a bustling city.