Georgia O’Keeffe

Who Was Georgia O’Keeffe?

Georgia O’Keeffe, an iconic figure in American art, is widely regarded as the “mother of American modernism.” She studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York before her breakthrough in the art world. Her first gallery show was organized by photographer and art dealer Alfred Stieglitz in 1916, whom she later married in 1924. Following Stieglitz’s death, O’Keeffe moved to New Mexico, where the vast landscapes profoundly influenced her most renowned works. O’Keeffe passed away on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped modern art.

Early Life

Born on November 15, 1887, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Georgia O’Keeffe was raised on a wheat farm as the second of seven children. Her father, Francis Calixtus O’Keeffe, was of Irish descent, and her mother, Ida Totto, had Dutch and Hungarian roots. Georgia was named after her Hungarian maternal grandfather, George Totto. From a young age, O’Keeffe showed a keen interest in art, a passion encouraged by her mother, who had aspirations of becoming a doctor. Art appreciation ran in the family, with her grandmothers and sisters also enjoying painting.

O’Keeffe attended Sacred Heart Academy in Madison, Wisconsin, where she studied both art and academic subjects. After moving to Williamsburg, Virginia, with her family in 1902, she remained in Wisconsin for a time to finish high school. She joined her family in Virginia in 1903, continuing her education at Chatham Episcopal Institute, where she was recognized as a talented artist and individualist.

Training as an Artist

After high school, O’Keeffe attended the Art Institute of Chicago from 1905 to 1906, where she studied under John Vanderpoel and ranked at the top of her class. However, her studies were interrupted when she contracted typhoid fever, forcing her to take a year off to recover.

In 1907, O’Keeffe resumed her art education at the Art Students League in New York, where she was trained in realist techniques by notable instructors such as William Merritt Chase and F. Luis Mora. One of her early works, Dead Rabbit with Copper Pot (1908), earned her a scholarship to the League’s summer school at Lake George, New York.

During this period, O’Keeffe was also influenced by the avant-garde art she encountered at “291,” the gallery of Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen. This exposure helped expand her understanding of modern art.

Due to financial hardships, O’Keeffe left New York and worked as a commercial artist in Chicago. In 1912, she began studying with Alon Bement at the University of Virginia, where she was introduced to the progressive ideas of Arthur Wesley Dow, a proponent of Japanese art-inspired composition. This marked the beginning of O’Keeffe’s departure from realism and her exploration of abstraction.

While continuing to teach, O’Keeffe began creating a series of abstract charcoal drawings in 1915, making her one of the first American artists to embrace pure abstraction. These early experiments laid the foundation for her groundbreaking contributions to American modernism.

Love Affair with Stieglitz

Georgia O’Keeffe’s introduction to Alfred Stieglitz, the influential art dealer and photographer, marked a turning point in both her personal life and career. It began when O’Keeffe sent several of her drawings to Anita Pollitzer, a close friend and former classmate. Pollitzer, impressed by the work, shared it with Stieglitz without O’Keeffe’s knowledge. Captivated by her style, Stieglitz exhibited 10 of her drawings at his gallery, 291, in 1916. Although initially upset by this unauthorized display, O’Keeffe allowed him to continue showcasing her work. A year later, she had her first solo exhibition, thanks to Stieglitz.

In 1918, O’Keeffe moved to New York, where Stieglitz found her a place to live and work, supporting her financially so she could focus on her art. Their professional relationship blossomed into a love affair, despite the 23-year age difference. Stieglitz divorced his wife, and in 1924, he and O’Keeffe were married. They lived in New York City, spending their summers in Lake George at Stieglitz’s family home.

Artistic Collaboration and Iconic Work

Stieglitz found a muse in O’Keeffe, photographing her over 300 times in portraits and nudes, and promoting her work among his circle of influential artists, including Edward Steichen, Charles Demuth, and Paul Strand. O’Keeffe’s artistic exploration deepened as she experimented with perspective, creating large-scale close-ups of flowers. Works like Petunia No. 2 (1925), Black Iris (1926), and Oriental Poppies (1928) surprised viewers with their magnified focus. “I’ll paint what I see – what the flower is to me,” O’Keeffe said, explaining her intent to make busy New Yorkers slow down and truly observe.

Her focus expanded to the modern cityscape, resulting in iconic paintings of New York’s skyscrapers such as City Night (1926) and Radiator Building—Night, New York (1927). By the time of her first retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927, O’Keeffe had solidified her position as one of America’s leading artists, an impressive achievement in the male-dominated art world.

New Mexico’s Influence

In 1929, O’Keeffe traveled to northern New Mexico, a landscape that would come to define much of her later work. Enchanted by the desert’s rugged beauty, local architecture, and Navajo culture, she returned regularly, producing notable works such as Black Cross, New Mexico (1929) and Cow’s Skull: Red, White, and Blue (1931). This region, which she affectionately called “the faraway,” became her primary source of inspiration.

O’Keeffe’s career was celebrated in major retrospectives, including one at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1943 and another at the Museum of Modern Art in 1946, MoMA’s first retrospective dedicated to a female artist. In 1940, she moved permanently to Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, and later bought another house in nearby Abiquiú.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Stieglitz had begun mentoring a young photographer, Dorothy Norman, with whom he developed a close relationship. Stieglitz’s health deteriorated in his later years, and he passed away in 1946. O’Keeffe, who was with him at the time of his death, served as the executor of his estate.

Later Life and Legacy

After Stieglitz’s death, O’Keeffe moved permanently to New Mexico in 1949. Her artistic output continued as she traveled the world, finding new sources of inspiration. In the 1950s and 1960s, she created works like the Sky Above Clouds series, which depicted aerial views. In 1970, a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art revived interest in her work, especially among feminist circles who saw her as a pioneering figure.

In her later years, O’Keeffe struggled with macular degeneration, which impaired her vision. Despite this, she continued creating art with the help of assistants. Her book, Georgia O’Keeffe (1976), became a bestseller, demonstrating her continued influence. Even in her 90s, O’Keeffe’s creative spirit remained undiminished.

O’Keeffe passed away on March 6, 1986, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her ashes were scattered at Cerro Pedernal, a location she had often painted. Her legacy endures through the thousands of works she created over her long career. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, dedicated to her life and art, continues to inspire new generations, preserving the memory of one of America’s most iconic and influential artists.