Whilst enlarged, we can still see enough of the flowerheads in order to understand the composition and place it within a rough context of reality. Other versions would go deeper into the flower and leave us with more of an abstract array of shape and colour which lost its connection to the original item. The artist wanted us to look at these beautiful items in a new way, and achieved it by going far beyond their size in reality, a little similar to how one might zoom into a photograph that has been taken digitally at high resolution. She would experiment with this idea of enlarged nature, also using leaves on a number of occasions and O'Keeffe always considered colour as well as the shape of the flowers themselves. There are many more different flower interpretations featured across this website, including Oriental Poppies and Jimson Weed - two of her most famous of all.
"...What is my experience of the flower if not color?..."
This stunning piece features glorious white petals with two yellow pistils which reach out to the sky. There is a pink background which may have been created from other leaves, seeing as there are contoured elements to it as well. O'Keeffe uses shadow effects to increase the idea of the pistils coming out from deep below in the plant and other curved features of the petals are also carefully added. Many have found symbolism within these types of paintings, from all manner of different sources, but the artist was always against such theories, stating that no intention had been made on her part, but that she encouraged others to see whatever they wanted within her abstract, modernist flower paintings. This painting can now be found in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, though the best representative for this artist remains, of course, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, USA.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosts several small annexes too, including a museum dedicated to the French sculptor, Auguste Rodin. Within the main collection you will find thousands of items to enjoy, most notably some significant works such as Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso, plus also some sculpture from the likes of Salvador Dalí and Constantin Brâncuși. Additionally, many other cultures are also covered, with items going back many, many centuries, covering regions such as Asia, Africa and South America amidst an overpowering wealth of history and beauty that should cover pretty much anyone's taste. It can be considered one of the most important art institutions within the country, even before you consider the extra venues that are found on site too.
