Only One

Georgia O'Keeffe, Only One, 1959, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1969.47.69
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
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
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
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.

Works by this artist (4 items)

Avery F. Johnson, The Isabelle, ca. late 1930s, watercolor and gouache on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.128.2
The Isabelle
Artist
Dateca. late 1930s
watercolor and gouache on paper
Not on view
Avery F. Johnson, Skating on Bonaparte's Pond (mural study, Bordentown, New Jersey Post Office), ca. 1940, oil on canvas mounted on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1965.18.6
Skating on Bonaparte’s Pond (mural study, Bordentown, New…
Artist
Dateca. 1940
oil on canvas mounted on paperboard
Not on view
Avery F. Johnson, United States Coast Guard Wet, 1934, watercolor, tempera and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1965.18.93
United States Coast Guard Wet
Artist
Date1934
watercolor, tempera and pencil on paper
Not on view
Avery F. Johnson, Low Tide, ca. late 1930s, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.128.3
Low Tide
Artist
Dateca. late 1930s
watercolor on paper
Not on view