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
Copied 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.