O’Keeffe, Georgia (1887-1986), was an American painter who found most of her inspiration in nature. Her flower paintings, which she created throughout her career, are her best-known works. She is also famous for her paintings of animal skulls and desert landscapes. She painted in a highly personalized style, using strong, vibrant colors. Her forms are sensually smoothed and simplified, often into highly abstract designs.
O’Keeffe was born on Nov. 15, 1887, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She studied at several schools, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Art Students League, and Columbia University. From 1912 to 1918, O’Keeffe taught in Texas, Virginia, and South Carolina. In Texas, she first became interested in the American Southwest. The region’s desert landscape greatly influenced her work.
The American photographer Alfred Stieglitz first showed O’Keeffe’s paintings in 1916 at “291,” his experimental gallery in New York City. For years, he displayed O’Keeffe’s work at two other galleries he operated in New York City. Stieglitz and O’Keeffe were married in 1924. In 1929, O’Keeffe began spending much time in New Mexico. Her husband died in 1946 and she settled near Abiquiu in 1949.
Toward the end of her life, O’Keeffe’s eyesight began to fail. She then began to work with ceramics, shaping beautifully rounded, sensuous forms and pottery. She died on March 6, 1986.
