Georgia O'Keeffe
Alfred
Stieglitz's Gallery 291
Alfred Stieglitz introduced America to such artists as Cezanne, Matisse, and Picasso. He almost single-handedly pioneered photography as a form of art.
In 1902, he arranged an exhibit of works by photographers that he called the "American Pictorial Photography Arranged by the 'Photo-Secessions' ". He wanted to show people that photography can be art as well. Edward Steichen, his protégé and fellow photographer and painter, convinced him to rent a studio at 291 Fifth Avenue in 1905. When it first opened, it was called "The Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession" which would later be known simply as Gallery 291.
Three years later, he opened the first modern art exhibit which featured the works of European artists Picasso, Cezanne, and Rodin. It was Steichen who, living in Europe at the time, exposed Stieglitz to these artists. By 1909, Stieglitz was introduced to Leo and Gertrude Stein and began to negotiate with them to put their art collection in his gallery.
Stieglitz was the first to display the works of Rodin, Cezanne, and Matisse in the United States. Matisse's painting Nude in the Forest was the first ever to be shown in the US and in November of 1910, Cezanne's lithographs were on display for all to see. His first one-man show took place in 1911 and included approximately 20 watercolors. Stieglitz was also the first to exhibit work by Picasso in the US.
Stieglitz was committed to showcasing American artists as well. He put a great amount of effort towards them from 1913 until Gallery 291 closed in 1917 due to the First World War and declining attendance.
When Stieglitz's famous Gallery 291 closed, he stepped away from the scene for four years only to return in 1921. He put on an exhibition of his photos in a space rented from his friend Mitchell Kennerley, owner of the Anderson Galleries. Then from 1925-29 he rented another room in that same building to display art work of the Seven Americans. He showcased the work of American artists, including Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove, John Marin, Paul Strand, Charles DeMuth, and his wife Georgia O'Keeffe. At the end of the Intimate Gallery's run, Stieglitz opened An American Place in 1929. He presented the work of the Seven Americans until his death in 1946.