Mrs. Stieffel

early 1921

Exhibition at the Anderson Galleries: 146 prints

At the invitation of Mitchell Kennerley, in early 1921 Stieglitz hung his first one-man exhibition since 1913: of the 146 prints only 17 had been seen before, and 46 were of O'Keeffe, many of them nudes, with the model unidentified. In the catalogue he made his famous declaration: “I was born in Hoboken. I am an American. Photography is my passion. The search for Truth my obsession.”

1922

A John Marin show and an auction of American art

In 1922 Stieglitz organised a large show of John Marin's paintings and etchings at the Anderson Galleries, followed by a huge auction of nearly two hundred paintings by more than forty American artists, including O'Keeffe.

November 1922

Death of his mother, Hedwig

Stieglitz's mother Hedwig (1845–1922) died in November 1922. As with his father, he buried his grief in his work: he spent time with Paul Strand and his wife, the painter Rebecca Salsbury, reviewed the work of the newcomer Edward Weston and began organising a new show of O'Keeffe's work.

early 1923

O'Keeffe's show: twenty paintings sold

O'Keeffe's show opened in early 1923, and Stieglitz spent much of the spring marketing her work; eventually twenty of her paintings sold for more than $3,000.

summer 1923

Affair with Rebecca Salsbury

In the summer of 1923, while O'Keeffe was away in the Southwest, Stieglitz stayed at Lake George with Rebecca Salsbury, Paul Strand's wife, took a series of nude photographs of her, and they had a brief affair. When O'Keeffe returned in the autumn she could tell what had happened but did not see her as a serious threat.