What was Georgia O'Keeffe's first large-scale flower painting, made in 1924?

Georgia O'Keeffe's first large-scale flower painting was Petunia, No. 2, made in 1924.

The painting presents a close, enlarged view of a petunia in rich purple and blue tones. O'Keeffe's decision to magnify a flower made its curves and folds fill the picture plane, encouraging viewers to notice abstract relationships of color and form.

Petunia, No. 2 is important because it predates the best-known flower paintings that made her famous. Her flower subjects were not simply botanical illustrations. She simplified and enlarged them so that the viewer experienced the flower almost as an abstract composition.

A common mix-up is to identify Jimson Weed or Black Iris as her first major flower enlargement. Those paintings came later. Petunia, No. 2 belongs to 1924 and marks an early milestone in the flower series that became central to her public image.