Clarence White began taking photographs in 1893, while working as a bookkeeper in Newark, Ohio. He quickly rose to prominence in photographic circles, garnering praise for his atmospheric, softly focused images of domestic life, rendered in lush yet detailed platinum prints. Despite the apparently spontaneous quality of his images, White often staged friends and family members in his photographs; this print depicts his wife, Jane, at center, with his sister-in-law and mother in the background. White made The Fountain at a key point in his career, having recently left Ohio for New York and a career in photographic instruction. He would eventually open the Clarence H. White School of Photography—the first in America to teach photography as a fine art—where he influenced a generation of students, many of whom became distinguished photographers in their own right.

For more on the Alfred Stieglitz collection at the Art Institute, along with in-depth object information, please visit the website: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection.