b. 1887 d. 1986
Site Affiliation: Abiquiú Home and Studio, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the most significant artists of the 20th century, renowned for her contribution to modern art. Born on November 15, 1887, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O’Keeffe decided at a young age to become an artist. Initially trained in traditional techniques, her artistic trajectory shifted after she was introduced to abstraction. O’Keeffe’s work caught the attention of Alfred Stieglitz, who would eventually become her husband. He became the first to exhibit her work in 1916.
By the 1920s, O’Keeffe gained prominence for her radical depictions of skyscrapers and flowers. In the summer of 1929, O’Keeffe made the first of many trips to northern New Mexico. O’Keeffe’s time in the region inspired a new direction in her art. She made the state her permanent home in 1949. Despite macular degeneration, she continued creating art until her death in Santa Fe on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98.
Primary Medium: Painter, Sculpture
Primary Stylistic Term: Modernist
HAHS Affiliations: O’Keeffe was a member of the Stieglitz Circle, which included HAHS artists Arthur Dove, Helen Torr, and Charles Demuth.
Fun Fact: Georgia O’Keeffe went river rafting for the first time at age 74. She enjoyed it so much that she went several more times.
Recommended Publications: Georgia O’Keeffe by Georgia O’Keeffe; Maria Chabot – Georgia O’Keeffe: Correspondence, 1941-1949 edited by Barbara Buhler Lynes; Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu by Agapita Lopez and Barbara Buhler Lynes