The imposing height and dynamic shape of the Flatiron building, completed in 1902, made it a symbol of modernity and a favorite subject for photographers around the turn of the century. No photographer, however, rendered it as masterfully as Steichen, whose large prints have a wall power that successfully challenges painting. Steichen achieved the coloristic effects by brushing layers of pigment suspended in light-sensitive gum solution onto a platinum photograph. Although he used only one negative to create all three photographs, the variable coloring enabled him to create three significantly different images that convey the chromatic progression of twilight.
