What was the name of Georgia O'Keeffe's 1926 painting featuring an enlarged iris?
Answer
Black Iris III
Georgia O'Keeffe's 1926 painting featuring an enlarged iris was Black Iris III.
The painting presents a close-up view of a dark iris, using tightly cropped forms and subtle transitions between black, purple, and lighter tones. It belongs to O'Keeffe’s flower paintings of the 1920s, which made individual blooms appear monumental.
O'Keeffe rejected the idea that her flowers should be read only as symbols of sexuality. She explained that enlarging flowers allowed people to notice details they might otherwise overlook because flowers are small and quickly passed by.
Several paintings in the Black Iris group share related imagery, so the numeral matters. Black Iris III is not the same work as Black Iris or Black Iris II, and the titles should not be merged.