cially if they are studied in a still room" (250). In this instance, the clouds have become his objective correlative. Stieglitz was so insistent upon the lyrical quality of his creation, that he believed his photograph could speak in musical tones.
As an art world rebel, Stieglitz advanced the art of photography on many different fronts. He raised the most fundamental questions about the nature of photography in each of the periods of his work. Jussim outlines those questions by noting, "Everything that Stieglitz did or thought can be considered from the point of view of these major questions: What is it in photography that distinguishes it from all the other visual arts? What are the limitations, the opportunities, the specific characteristics of photography? Can photography seek and discover new forms of expression unattainable in the other arts, or will it always rely upon the same pictorial aesthetic as does painting?" (252).
In his attempt to elevate photography to the same level of appreciation as one of the fine arts, Stieglitz insisted that each of his prints be as unique, perfect, and as rare (therefore precious) as a limited-edition etching, aquatint, copper or steel engraving, or lithograph. He is quoted as affirming, "Many of my prints exist in one example only. Negatives of the early work have nearly all been lost or destroyed. There are but few of my early prints in existence" (Seligmann 117). Stieglitz attempted to add to, or make a new experience out of, each print of a single negative. He insisted that there be "no mechanicalization--[only] photography" (Seligmann 117).
It is apparent that the individualization of each print from a single negative might be used as a contrivance to insure the marketability and market value of one's work, but it is to Stieglitz's credit that he was more concerned with art for art's sake, than he was art for money's sake. He was more interested in selling his aest...