1871 - 1944
1928
Oil on canvas
38 x 26 1/4 in. (96.5 x 66.7 cm) Framed: 41 7/8 x 29 7/8 x 2 in. (106 x 75.6 x 4.8 cm)
In Stettheimer's portrait, Stieglitz dominates the center of the Intimate Gallery—which he established in 1925 after closing 291—and is surrounded by representations of the artists he most often exhibited, as well as members of the New York art scene. John Marin's watercolors hang on the leftmost wall, and three plaques spell out the names of Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove, and photographer Paul Strand. A large, ghostly outline of O'Keeffe's face in profile is behind Stieglitz, near her name. Charles Demuth enters with his cane from the left. The seated figure in the foreground appears to be Francis Picabia. Standing behind him is probably art critic Henry McBride. The figure entering the gallery at the right is very likely Baron Adolph de Meyer, the first staff photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair. Stettheimer also included references to places associated with Stieglitz: New York, the horse races at Saratoga Springs, and Lake George.
Stettheimer developed a style combining elements of European Symbolism and caricature to chronicle the lives of American Modernists. Stieglitz and his artists attended salons held at her New York homes.