Georgia O'Keeffe created her first large-scale flower painting, Petunia, No. 2, in 1924.
Petunia, No. 2 depicts a purple petunia enlarged so that its form fills much of the composition. O'Keeffe had painted flowers earlier, but her large close-up flower images became especially prominent during the 1920s. These works helped establish the visual identity for which she is widely known.
O'Keeffe explained that enlarging flowers allowed viewers to notice their details. Her flower paintings are often interpreted symbolically, especially in relation to sexuality, but she repeatedly resisted the idea that they should be read only as sexual images.
The 1924 date is significant because it marks an early major example of the enlarged flower format, before celebrated later works such as Black Iris III and Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1.