In Memoriam (photograph)

When he returned to the United States in 1902 he joined Alfred Stieglitz's Photo-Secession movement, the main purpose of which was the recognition of photography as an art form.

The naked woman is seated, inclined to her right, with her face not visible, and one her arms in front of her long dark hair.

The blurred enigmatic, erotic and poetic figure shows the influence of symbolism and possibly also the sculptural work of Auguste Rodin.

The Musée d'Orsay website states that: "As in many pictorial photographs, this nude is blurred, enhancing the impression of mystery introduced by the studied pose of the model with her face hidden.

In spite of the abstract nature of the image, emphasised by the chiaroscuro throughout the photograph, we can feel the physical weight of the woman's body, which is somewhat unusual in Steichen's nudes who are usually more ethereal.