The Blue Sky-Dana Steichen, Long Island New York,

1923

<p> Taken outdoors rather than in a studio setting, Steichen’s portrait of his wife evokes a sense of intimacy. In the same year that he took <em>The Blue Sky, Vanity Fair</em> declared Steichen to be “the greatest living portrait photographer,” referring to his glamorous and widely circulated images of models and celebrities. It was also in 1923 that Steichen was tapped as chief photographer for Condé Nast publications. This close-up forgoes the fashion, props, accessories, and other signifiers of wealth and power that characterize Steichen’s magazine portraits of the era. Instead, the photograph hints at Dana’s inner life, a rare glimpse of a private moment in Steichen’s mostly public-facing oeuvre. </p>