Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) was a seminal American artist renowned for her distinctive modernist paintings, especially those featuring flowers, New York skyscrapers, and southwestern landscapes. Born in Wisconsin, O'Keeffe studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York, where she embraced innovative techniques. O'Keeffe's revolutionary style was marked by her ability to simplify and magnify natural forms to their essential, abstract elements. Her large-scale flower paintings, such as "Jimson Weed/White Flower No.1," are among her most iconic works, imbued with a compelling blend of stark precision and sensuous simplicity. In the 1930s, O'Keeffe began visiting and later moved to New Mexico, drawing inspiration from its unique landscapes and cultural artifacts, which resulted in striking compositions of bones against a desert backdrop. Despite challenges faced as a woman in a male-dominated art world, O'Keeffe's vision and determination led her to become a central figure in American modernism. Today, her works are held in high esteem and can be found in major museums worldwide.