Georgia O'Keeffe's 1915 series of abstract charcoal drawings was called Specials.
The series marked a decisive break from the academic realism O'Keeffe had learned in art school. Using charcoal on paper, she explored lines, curves, and shapes without directly depicting recognizable objects. These drawings are important because they represent some of the earliest fully abstract works produced by an American artist.
O'Keeffe sent the drawings to her friend Anita Pollitzer, who showed them to Alfred Stieglitz in New York. Stieglitz exhibited some of them at his gallery 291 in 1916. The event helped bring O'Keeffe to wider attention and began a professional relationship that shaped her public career.
The title Specials is easy to miss because many accounts describe the works simply as her 1915 charcoal abstractions. They should not be confused with her later series of flower, bone, or cloud paintings. The series is especially significant for its timing: it predates her move to New York and her mature Southwestern imagery.