What is Georgia O'Keeffe's 1927 painting Radiator Building based on?

Georgia O'Keeffe's 1927 painting Radiator Building is based on New York's Radiator Building. The work, commonly titled Radiator Building—Night, New York, transforms the Art Deco skyscraper into a dramatic composition of dark architecture and luminous color.

The building was designed by Raymond Hood and André Fouilhoux and opened in 1924. Its black-and-gold exterior was associated with the American Radiator Company, whose products inspired the building’s name and visual identity.

O'Keeffe painted the building from an urban viewpoint, using strong vertical forms and glowing reds, oranges, and yellows. The subject shows that her work was not limited to flowers, bones, and desert landscapes; she also responded to modern city architecture.

The painting is sometimes confused with views of the Empire State Building or Chrysler Building, both famous New York skyscrapers. O'Keeffe’s image specifically refers to the Radiator Building, later known as the American Standard Building.