Georgia O’Keeffe, Apple Family – 2, 1920, Oil on canvas, 8’ x 10”, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM, Photo courtesy of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Georgia O’Keeffe, Apple Family – 2, 1920, Oil on canvas, 8’ x 10”, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM, Photo courtesy of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

Georgia O’Keeffe: An American Original

We are accustomed to seeing works of art by Georgia O’Keeffe in prominent American museums, but there is a lot to be said for visiting the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, NM and experiencing her art on its own. When not distracted by the context of other artists’ work, you can focus upon her analysis of form, her remarkable compositions, and the subtlety of her color and brushwork. It is also helpful to see such a large collection of her work in the setting of Santa Fe, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, to understand why she was so profoundly influenced by the natural world. Given the opportunity to see Georgia O’Keeffe’s work in its own space, I felt I was able to appreciate it properly for the very first time.

Happy Independence Day!