CHICAGO — The Art Institute of Chicago’s exhibition, Georgia O’Keeffe: ‘My New Yorks,’ uncovers an intriguing facet of the artist’s oeuvre, showcasing her lesser-known paintings of New York skyscrapers alongside her renowned floral works.
Beginning in 1925, O’Keeffe captured towering urban structures in her art, creating striking depictions of a modernized New York devoid of people and cars. These works provide a vital record of the city’s transformation during that era. However, instead of these skyscraper paintings becoming her signature, it was her floral works that gained prominence, largely due to the influence of her husband, artist Alfred Stieglitz.
Stieglitz initially rejected O’Keeffe’s plan to feature her skyscraper paintings in a 1925 group show at his Intimate Gallery, urging her instead to present her landscape paintings. Despite this setback, O’Keeffe’s determination led to the successful exhibition of one of her New York paintings the following year, which sold for $6,000—a significant sum at the time.
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