Georgia O'Keeffe

We would briefly discuss famous women painters in different time periods but in the early 20th century we didn't discuss any female painters. There was one female painter in the early 20th century named Georgia O'Keeffe. She was born in 1887 in Sun Prarie, Wisconsin. In 1905 she attended the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1907 she studied in the Art Student League in New York City under an artist named William Arthur Chase.

It seems that Georgia O'Keeffe had an easy time being a female artist in the 20th century but that isn't the case. At the time women were discouraged into being artists and, due to this discouragement, Georgia O'Keeffe briefly gave up on her dream of being an artist. However, she was pushed by her family to continue her studies, leading her to study with an artist named Alon Bement. Alon Bement would teach her how to paint abstract which is the style she became famous for. We see in her painting called 'Red Canna' that she enlarged the flower to the point of abstraction. At first glance, it is hard to tell what it is but the title gives it away. She has given a reason why she paints flowers. She said "Most people in the city rush around so they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see them whether they want it or not."


She is also famous for her paintings with skulls. The painting of the skull here is called 'Ram's Head, White Hollyhock, and Little Hills' painted in 1935.



~Raquel Heller