Georgia O’Keeffe: To See Takes Time

Recalling a charcoal drawing she made in 1916, Georgia O’Keeffe once wrote, “I have made this drawing several times—never remembering that I had made it before.” Many of her works on paper explore recurring motifs that move between observation and abstraction.

Between 1915 and 1918, O’Keeffe created an extraordinary number of works on paper, experimenting with abstract lines, organic landscapes, nudes, and charcoal drawings she called her “specials.” While her focus later shifted toward canvas, she continued to revisit paper in later series, including her charcoal flowers of the 1930s, portraits of the 1940s, and aerial views of the 1950s.

Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, this volume highlights the breadth of O’Keeffe’s work on paper.