Final answer:
Alfred Stieglitz's 'The Steerage' is a photogravure that captures the condition of immigrants in a ship's steerage, using a vertical composition with diagonal lines and geometrical shapes. It demonstrates photography's unique artistic qualities and stands as an iconic work in contemporary photography.
Step-by-step explanation:
The photograph 'The Steerage' by Alfred Stieglitz is a pivotal work in the history of photography. Taken in 1907, it captures the stark reality of immigrants packed in the steerage section of a ship journeying to New York. This image is not only a photogravure, but it is also renowned for its complex formal composition, making it a foundational piece in contemporary photography. The photograph showcases a monochromatic scale, with a strong vertical composition characterized by diagonal lines and geometric shapes, such as triangles created by the ship's structures and the round contours of a straw hat, funnel, and machinery associated with the ship. Stieglitz, who was also married to artist Georgia O'Keeffe, used this image to argue for the medium of photography as a unique art form capable of expressing all of the elements and principles common to other mediums.