O'Keeffe's 1915 Charcoal Drawings are widely regarded as among the first purely abstract drawings by an American artist.
The series emerged after O'Keeffe studied the ideas of Arthur Wesley Dow, who emphasized composition, line, and design rather than simply copying visible reality. In these works, she used charcoal to create flowing lines and shapes that do not depict a recognizable object. Their simplicity and rhythmic movement marked a decisive break from her earlier academic training.
O'Keeffe sent some of the drawings to a friend, Anita Pollitzer, who showed them to Alfred Stieglitz. Stieglitz exhibited them in 1916, helping launch O'Keeffe's professional career. The drawings therefore connect her formal breakthrough with the New York gallery world that soon promoted her work.
They are often confused with later flower paintings or with the specific title of her 1916 exhibition series. The broader historical label is Charcoal Drawings, and the key date is 1915.