If you take a closer look at the painting, you will notice how subtly she is able to minimize the Shelton tower and make it fit on a canvas while still maintaining its significance. Georgia O’Keeffe’s inspiration was a similar sight that she experienced one morning while looking at the Shelton tower. She said, "...I went out one morning to look at [the Shelton Hotel], and there was the optical illusion of a bite out of one side of the tower by the sun, with sunspots against the tower and the sky". The painting was developed in the year 1926 a time when Georgia O’Keeffe was using oil on canvas to come up with her stream of skyscraper paintings. She had a peculiar way of handling these mediums which of course enabled her to deliver great paintings that were distinct and attractive.
The Shelton with sunspots is a fantastic piece with a number of subtle details all over. First, she paints the Shelton tower well erected and right in the middle of the canvas. She then goes ahead and depicts these other buildings creating a perfect frame that makes the tower to stand out. You can also see the incredible optical illusion of the sun which she paints on the side of the building while maintaining its form. She had the ability to achieve astonishing geometry whenever she painted skyscrapers and that same technic is seen on this piece as she gently brings out a clear image of the high-rise.
To make the painting even more attractive, she went ahead and added wavy lines that indicate how tall the building as you can see its highest point reaching the clouds above it. She finally adds the sunspots strategically, and the resultant painting is an incredible masterpiece that is not only artistic but also emblematic. This painting shows that Georgia O’Keeffe had an incredible and unique way of coming up with astounding pieces by simply channelling the reality on the canvas. Everything about this painting is incredible, and each detail is well executed.
