Purple Leaves

About the Art

One of the most recognized names in American art, O' Keeffe routinely blended keen observation of nature with abstraction. She magnified natural objects in her work, most famously with her large, close-up paintings of flowers. In this modestly sized image, she explores the curvilinear forms and varying shades of purple found in a pile of leaves. It was painted at Lake George, New York, at the summer vacation home of her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz. A densely wooded area, the painting indicates the arrival of fall, which meant O'Keeffe and Stieglitz would soon be returning to their New York City apartment. Her preference, however, was to live away from the crowds of the city, and in 1949 she moved permanently to the quiet, high desert of New Mexico. Today, a museum in Santa Fe is dedicated to her art.

FEATURED IMAGE
Georgia O'Keeffe (American, 1887–1986), Purple Leaves, 1922, oil on canvas mounted on board, 9 x 12 x 3/8 inches (22.9 x 30.5 cm). Bequest of Virginia Rike Haswell, 1977.60