Only One

Georgia O'Keeffe, Only One, 1959, oil on canvas, 36 x 30 ¹⁄₈ in. (91.5 x 76.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1969.47.69

Artwork Details

Title: Only One
Artist: Georgia O'Keeffe
Date: 1959
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 36 x 30 ¹⁄₈ in. (91.5 x 76.4 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on canvas
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Abstract
Object Number: 1969.47.69
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1969.47.69

Artwork Description

In 1959, Georgia O'Keeffe embarked on a whirlwind world tour for three months. Visiting India, East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Rome, her main source of transportation was, for the first time, commercial airlines. Despite a fear of flying, O'Keeffe was deeply inspired by the new perspective of seeing the land from high above. From such great heights, the natural formations of the earth's surface blur, losing their active tension as they devolve into abstract patterns. In Only One, swaths of rusty oranges and shadowy violets are interrupted by ribbon-like blues echoing the relationship of the arid land and nourishing rivers below.