Georgia O’Keeffe

Date of Birth: November 15, 1887

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: March 6, 1986

Biography

Georgia Totto O’Keeffe was an American modernist artist known for her distinctive paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. Born on November 15, 1887, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O’Keeffe was the second of seven children. She showed an early interest in art and pursued formal training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later at the Art Students League in New York. O’Keeffe’s career took a significant turn when she started experimenting with abstract art, inspired by the techniques of Arthur Wesley Dow. Her works caught the attention of photographer and gallery owner Alfred Stieglitz, who became her mentor and later her husband. Stieglitz organized O’Keeffe’s first solo exhibition in 1917, which propelled her into the spotlight of the American art scene. Throughout her career, O’Keeffe was celebrated for her unique style that combined elements of realism and abstraction. She spent much of her later life in New Mexico, where the stark desert landscapes and indigenous culture deeply influenced her work. O’Keeffe’s contributions to modern art were recognized with numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the National Medal of Arts in 1985. Georgia O’Keeffe passed away on March 6, 1986, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the most significant artists of the 20th century.

5 Interesting Facts about Georgia O’Keeffe

1. Georgia O’Keeffe was one of the first female painters to gain critical acclaim and financial success in the male-dominated art world of her time.

2. She lived in New York City for many years, where she was an integral part of the vibrant modernist movement.

3. O’Keeffe’s work is often associated with the American Southwest, particularly her paintings of New Mexico’s rugged landscapes.

4. She was married to the famous photographer Alfred Stieglitz, who took more than 300 photographs of her over their long relationship.

5. O’Keeffe’s painting “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1” sold for $44.4 million in 2014, setting a record for the most expensive painting by a woman artist at the time.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Georgia O’Keeffe

1. “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.”

2. “To create one’s own world takes courage.”

3. “I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain, and I am quite free.”

4. “When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment.”

5. “Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven’t time, and to see takes time—like to have a friend takes time.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of her career, Georgia O’Keeffe’s net worth was estimated to be in the range of several million dollars, largely due to the sale of her artworks and the appreciation of her estate.