Georgia O’Keeffe’s 140 Architectural Paintings Reveal a Different Side of Her Art
Beyond flowers and landscapes
Many people know Georgia O’Keeffe for paintings of flowers, landscapes and bones. Curator Ben Colman said that a barn can surprise viewers, noting that flower paintings make up only about 10% of her artwork. The exhibition focuses on places where O’Keeffe lived and worked, and on how those settings shaped her as a person and artist, Colman said.
Buildings across her life
O’Keeffe later lived in Manhattan as skyscrapers began reshaping the city in the 1920s. She eventually moved to New Mexico, where adobe buildings and desert scenery surrounded her.
Across her career, she made about 140 architectural paintings. Colman said these works explore the character of places she knew and the light, atmosphere and texture of their buildings.
A lasting artistic legacy
O’Keeffe died in 1986 at age 98. Her extensive body of work established her as a lasting presence in American art. The Detroit Institute of Arts is presenting “Georgia O’Keeffe: Architecture” through Jan. 3, 2027. A 1981 “Sunday Morning” segment also revisited O’Keeffe and a piano quintet dedicated to her by composer John Harbison at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.
Key points
- O’Keeffe completed about 140 architectural paintings during her career.
- Flower paintings account for about 10% of her artwork, curator Ben Colman said.
- Her architectural subjects include places associated with Manhattan and New Mexico.
- “Georgia O’Keeffe: Architecture” is at the Detroit Institute of Arts through Jan. 3, 2027.