Jennie (?) 1920

This is Alfred Stieglitz's gelatin silver print, "Jennie (?)," a delicate exploration of light and form, captured on film. I imagine Stieglitz carefully composing the shot, adjusting the light to sculpt Jennie's face. The soft gradations of tone, from the deep shadows behind her to the highlights on her cheek, give a sense of depth. I am wondering if it was as simple as it seems to create this image. A dance between the photographer, the subject, and the elusive play of light. It reminds me of the Old Masters, like Rembrandt, who also used light to reveal the inner character of their sitters. And like those painters, Stieglitz wasn't just recording a likeness, he was capturing a feeling, an essence, of Jennie. He shows us a way of looking and appreciating the world through the medium of photography. It’s like a painter using brushstrokes to convey emotion, Stieglitz uses light and shadow. It’s a beautiful reminder that artists are always in conversation with each other, across time and mediums, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling.