What is the title of Georgia O'Keeffe's 1931 painting of a cow skull against a blue background?
Answer
Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue
Answer
Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue
Georgia O'Keeffe titled her 1931 painting of a cow skull against a blue background Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue.
The painting shows a weathered cow skull floating against a vivid blue field, with red and white accents in the composition. O'Keeffe collected animal bones in the Southwest and used them as subjects in paintings that transformed natural remains into monumental, carefully balanced forms.
The title refers to the colors as well as to an American national association. O'Keeffe did not treat the skull as a simple still-life prop; she isolated it, enlarged it, and gave it a stark presence. Her bone paintings are among the works most closely associated with her New Mexico period.
This title is distinct from Cow's Skull with Calico Roses, another O'Keeffe work involving a cow skull. It is also different from Ram's Head, White Hollyhock-Hills, which combines a ram's skull with flowers and a landscape.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026