Black Iris

Georgia O'Keeffe

1926 · Oil on canvas · Modern and Contemporary Art

This monumental flower painting is one of O'Keeffe's early masterpieces. Enlarging the petals far beyond lifesize proportions, she forces the viewer to observe the small details that might otherwise be overlooked. When paintings from this group were first shown in 1924, even Alfred Stieglitz, her husband and dealer, was shocked by their audacity.

Artist

Georgia O'Keeffe

Date

1926

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1969