Ghost Ranch was the New Mexico ranch that became a major subject of Georgia O'Keeffe's work.
O'Keeffe first encountered the area during her New Mexico travels and repeatedly painted its cliffs, mesas, roads, and open spaces. The ranch lies near Abiquiú in northern New Mexico, in a landscape marked by dramatic red and yellow rock formations. Its geological forms became among the most recognizable settings in her work.
She rented a house at Ghost Ranch for years and eventually bought a house there in 1940. The property gave her a place to work independently and to observe the landscape through changing seasons and light. Paintings associated with the area include works depicting cliffs, crosses, and the surrounding desert terrain.
Ghost Ranch is not the same as O'Keeffe's separate home and studio in the village of Abiquiú. Both locations were important, but Ghost Ranch was the broad, rugged landscape that she frequently used as a subject.