Georgia okeeffe skull. The painting depicts a cow skull centered in front of what appears to be a cloth background. She also manipulated her image of the pinon tree so that its form uncannily echoes that of other compositional elements. The skull ostensibly hangs on a weathered pinon tree but in an eerie touch okeeffe painted blue sky showing through the eyeholes.
Red white and blue is a painting by american artist georgia okeeffe. Georgia totto okeeffe november 15 1887 march 6 1986 was an american artist. She shunned european traditions and influence and resisted all manner of paternalism.
Red white and blue was created by okeeffe in 1931. Over the yearsokeeffe became an antiauthoritarian revolutionary the notoriety of her lifestyle sometimes overcoming the originality of her work. Okeeffe has been recognized as the mother of american modernism.
Out of context the skull in this painting assumes a monumentality and iconic significance. One of the first female painters to achieve worldwide acclaim from critics and the general public georgia okeeffe was an american painter who created innovative impressionist images that challenged perceptions and evolved constantly throughout her career. Around the time of the paintings creation american artists musicians and writers were interested in identifying a uniquely american style and subject matter for their work.
She was known for her paintings of enlarged flowers new york skyscrapers and new mexico landscapes. Okeeffe began collecting bones during her first summer in new mexico. It is done in oil on canvas and measures 39 78 x 35 78 inches.
In 1905 okeeffe began her serious formal art training at the school of the art institute of chicago and then the art students league of. After studying at the school of the art institute of chicago she attended the art students league in new york studying under william. The horses skull on blue 1930 by georgia okeeffe click image to view detail.
Red white and blue was painted. 1013 x 911 cm. Georgia okeeffe was a 20th century american painter and pioneer of american modernism best known for her canvases depicting flowers skyscrapers animal skulls and southwestern landscapes.
Tucked against the ear and the jaw the flowers appear less morbid than simply decorativea whimsical addition that relies on the soft ruffled petals to alleviate the hard polished severity of the skull. On either side of that are two vertical stripes of white laced with blue.