Georgia O'Keeffe famously enlarged flowers in paintings such as Black Iris.
O'Keeffe began making close-up flower paintings in the 1920s. By enlarging petals until they filled the canvas, she encouraged viewers to notice shapes, folds, color transitions, and patterns that might otherwise be overlooked.
Black Iris is one of her best-known flower paintings, although its exact date and title sequence have been discussed in art-historical writing. O'Keeffe rejected the idea that her flower pictures should be read only as symbols. She emphasized looking carefully at the flowers themselves, even while critics frequently offered psychological or symbolic interpretations.