What name did Georgia O’Keeffe give to the dark cliffs near Ghost Ranch?

Georgia O’Keeffe called the dark cliffs near Ghost Ranch “The Black Place.”

The Black Place was a dramatic landscape in northern New Mexico that O’Keeffe painted repeatedly. Its dark, eroded formations contrasted with the pale desert, strong sunlight, and open sky that characterize many of her Southwest works.

O’Keeffe also painted another nearby formation known as the White Place. The two names reflect her personal way of identifying landscapes through their dominant visual character rather than through standard geographic labels. This private naming system became part of how viewers discuss her New Mexico paintings.

The Black Place was not her home and was not the same location as Ghost Ranch itself. Ghost Ranch was a larger retreat and landscape area near Abiquiú, while The Black Place was a distinct subject several miles away. The distinction matters because O’Keeffe painted both sites as separate parts of her New Mexico experience.