Which 1931 Georgia O'Keeffe painting depicts a steer skull against a New Mexico landscape?

The story behind the answer

Georgia O'Keeffe’s 1931 painting depicting a steer skull against a New Mexico landscape is Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue. The oil painting places a large bleached skull in front of a simplified landscape, with the title's colors linking the image to the American flag.

O'Keeffe collected animal bones during her walks in New Mexico and used them as carefully arranged subjects. She did not treat the skull simply as a symbol of death. Its curves, openings, and weathered surface allowed her to explore structure, light, and the enduring forms she saw in the desert.

The painting is often grouped with O'Keeffe's New Mexico bone paintings, including Ram's Head, White Hollyhock-Hills and Pelvis Series Red with Yellow. Those titles refer to different works and different bones. Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue is specifically identified by the steer skull and the red-white-and-blue color scheme.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: