Ida O'Keeffe 1924

This photograph by Alfred Stieglitz captures Ida O’Keeffe, in tones of gray, silver and black. I find myself wondering about the exchange between the photographer and the sitter. Stieglitz and O’Keeffe circle around each other, but she is not Georgia, his muse. Ida, also an artist, turns her gaze to meet ours. As a painter, I imagine Stieglitz seeking to capture something more than just a likeness. The angle of her smile, the set of her jaw – what was Stieglitz thinking? What was he searching for in her gaze? Maybe a glimpse into the soul of an artist, a fellow traveler on the creative path. I see a play of light and shadow, revealing not just a face, but a complex inner world. What does it mean to really *see* someone? To see their humanity? And how does that seeing become a part of art?