i saw the figure 5 in gold art ac dec

Who was Alfred Stieglitz?

A photographer and gallerist influential in the American art world; son of German immigrants who studied in Germany in the 1880s and later settled in New York.

What photographic movement was Stieglitz associated with early in his career?

Pictorialism, which argued for photography as a fine art.

What journal did Alfred Stieglitz begin publishing in 1903?

Camera Work

What was featured in Camera Work?

Photographs by many of the most important early twentieth-century photographers.

What was the name of Stieglitz’s first art gallery, and when was it opened?

291, opened in 1905, named after its Fifth Avenue address.

What types of art were displayed at 291?

European modernism (e.g., Picasso, Matisse), photography, and non-Western art (e.g., African sculpture in 1914).

What exhibition methods did 291 pioneer?

Fewer artworks on display, neutral white walls, and wide spacing between works—now standard in modern galleries.

When did 291 close, and what galleries did Stieglitz manage afterward?

291 closed in 1917; he later ran the Intimate Gallery and An American Place.

Which American painters did Stieglitz support?

Arthur G. Dove, Marsden Hartley, Max Weber, and Georgia O’Keeffe

Besides organizing shows, what other roles did Stieglitz have in the art world?

He continued his photographic practice and wrote art criticism in the 1920s.

What were some criticisms of Alfred Stieglitz?

He was exclusive and rigid in his definitions of modernism, and his opinion could significantly influence an artist’s career.

Where and when was Charles Demuth born?

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1883

Where did Demuth study art?

At the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and later in Paris.

What types of subjects did Demuth often paint in watercolor?

Still lifes of vegetables and flowers, industrial landscapes, and entertainment scenes like circuses and music halls.

What was Demuth’s connection to Alfred Stieglitz?

He was introduced by Marsden Hartley and had a solo show in 1926 at a Stieglitz gallery.

What did art historian Wanda Corn suggest about Stieglitz’s support of Demuth?

That Stieglitz may have been unconsciously prejudiced against Demuth due to his identity as a gay man.

What art style does I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold represent?

Geometric abstraction.

What defines geometric abstraction?

The use of straight lines and simple geometric shapes (like squares and triangles) to represent forms on a flat surface, without traditional shading or depth.

Which European movements influenced Demuth’s style?

Cubism, Futurism, Suprematism, Constructivism, and Vorticism.

Which artists inspired Demuth’s geometric abstraction?

Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso.

Which other Stieglitz circle artists practiced geometric abstraction?

John Marin and Max Weber.

What innovative portrait style did Demuth create?

“Poster portraits,” using symbols, texts, and images instead of visual likenesses.

What visual influences did Demuth combine in poster portraits?

Advertising, product labels, and Cubist elements.

Who was I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold a portrait of?No

William Carlos Williams.

How did Demuth and Williams meet?

As boarding house lodgers while studying in Philadelphia—Demuth at art school, Williams at Penn medical school.

What poetic movement did Williams belong to?

Imagism

What defined imagist poetry?

Clear, direct imagery without figurative language or rhyme schemes.

What did Williams believe about the form of poetry?

That the poem’s meaning is conveyed through its form, composition, and sensory impressions, not narrative.

What are the dominant colors used in the painting?

Red, gold, and shades of gray

What visual element is repeated in the center of the composition?

The number 5, repeated three times, shrinking inward.

What effect does the repetition of the number 5 create?

A sensation of recession into space, rapid movement, and fading sound.

What geometric elements appear behind the 5s?

Squares and triangles forming a red polygon.

What suggests an urban setting in the background?

Pale gold circles (streetlamps), angular buildings with windows, and electric signage spelling “BILL” and “CARLO.”

How does Demuth sign the painting and reference Williams?

With stencil-style letters and the initials “WCW” in the lower corner.

What poem inspired the painting?

The Great Figure by William Carlos Williams (1921).

What does the poem describe?

A red firetruck with a gold number 5 racing through the dark city with sounds like gong clangs and siren howls.

How does Demuth suggest speed and sound in the painting?

With radiating angular lines and nested number 5s, creating the illusion of motion and echoing sound.

When did Demuth die, and from what

In 1935, from complications of diabetes.

What shared goal did Demuth and Williams pursue

Promoting modernism across the arts in America.