Georgia O'Keeffe, American Artist
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 - March 6, 1986) was an American artist. In 1905, O'Keeffe began formal art training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and then the Art Students League of New York. In 1908, unable to fund further education, she worked as a commercial illustrator, and then spent 1911-18 teaching in Virginia, Texas, and South Carolina. During that time, she was introduced to the principles and philosophies of Arthur Wesley Dow, who espoused created works of art based upon personal style, design, and interpretation of subjects, rather than trying to copy or represent them. This caused a major change in the way she felt about and approached art. Alfred Stieglitz, an art dealer and photographer, held an exhibit of her works in 1917. She moved to New York in 1918 at Stieglitz's request and began working seriously as an artist. They developed a professional relationship - he promoted and exhibited her works - and a personal relationship that led to their marriage in 1924. They lived together in New York until 1929, when O'Keeffe began spending part of the year in the Southwest, which served as inspiration for her paintings of landscapes and animal skulls. After Stieglitz's death, she lived permanently in New Mexico at Georgia O'Keeffe Home and Studio in AbiquiC, until the last years of her life when she lived in Santa Fe. She died in 1986 at the age of 98. Photographed by Carl Van Vechten August 16, 1950
