This piece was constructed in 1939, by which time the artist had been producing flower paintings for over a decade. She experimented with different species as well as the level of detail that she went into. In some cases, the flowers would be so enlarged that it would take time to identify just what we were looking at, where as in the case of Bella Donna, we can immediately understand the composition. We see the full width of two flower heads, along with some touches of blue and green behind which most likely depict some of the leaves of the plant and also perhaps parts of the bright sky behind. In the centre we find a deep valley into the centre of the flower, which also allows O'Keeffe to make use of further shades of the same green used elsewhere.
Head to Santa Fe in the US to find this original artwork - it is held at the world respected Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, which is a must-visit for fans of the artist. They continue to increase their collection of different artworks from her career and it is already the place to go in order to find more of her work and see it in person. Much of her wider career has not been particularly well documented and so you will likely discover a number of paintings here that you had never seen before. They also offer licensed prints of most of them, for those looking to enjoy her work within their own homes. This avoids trying to seek out approved sellers from the many that exist, and this Museum will often offer the best quality reproductions too.
It is hard to deny that the artist is the most famous of all for flower depictions, particularly within the 20th century, though it is important not to forget about the other genres in which she was involved, as there is much to see and enjoy there too. Those with more traditional tastes might prefer the still life work of artists like Paul Cezanne or even go further back to the depictions of Albrecht Durer who often used watercolours to make copies of illustrations from his father's collection of botany books. All-in-all, many modern art fans are most excited about O'Keeffe's flowers, above even her animal bones and landscape scenes. All were within this unique take on the Modernist movements and still feel truly contemporary in the present day.
