Jimson Weed 3 

‘My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me.’ – Georgia O’Keeffe Do you have a favourite flower? For the American modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), the Jimson Weed was beloved. She painted the weed several times throughout her career. In this painting from 1936, O’Keeffe depicts four of the white blooms in fantastic shades of ghostly white. 🌸 Georgia O’Keeffe is best known for her magnified flower paintings, of which ‘Jimson Weed’ (1936) is the largest. Here, she enlarges the petals to the vast proportions of 180 x 212 centimetres. This allows her to capture the tiny details of the plants, from their delicate shading to the curves of their green leaves. Her flower paintings are often interpreted as abstract representations of the female body, yet the artist denied this. Why might critics have been convinced that her paintings depicted female anatomy? What does this say about perceptions of O’Keeffe as a woman artist? 👇💭 ‘Jimson Weed’ (1936) positions the pure white petals against a background of sky blue. The effect is fresh and natural. The artist has focussed on the simple shapes and colours of the plant, encouraging the viewer to reconnect with the natural world. 🏜️ Also known as the devil’s trumpet, jimson weeds are poisonous plants. Despite their toxicity, O’Keeffe grew an abundance of the weeds outside her home in New Mexico, where she permanently moved in 1949. The artist remained in New Mexico until her death at the age of 98, and continued to paint its landscapes and plants in spite of her failing eyesight. She insisted that it was impossible to teach landscape painting, as it relied on a personal connection to the earth. 🌏 Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting defies categorisation. Her independent vision and innovative approach to art has resulted in her reputation as ‘the mother of American modernism’. How does this painting challenge traditional expectations of art? Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham