Which artist and teacher's ideas strongly influenced Georgia O'Keeffe at the University of Virginia?

Arthur Wesley Dow strongly influenced Georgia O'Keeffe through his ideas about art education and composition.

O'Keeffe encountered Dow's theories while teaching and studying in the 1910s, including during her time connected with the University of Virginia. Dow emphasized organizing line, color, and tone rather than merely copying visible objects. This approach gave O'Keeffe a framework for creating more personal and abstract images.

Her later charcoal drawings of 1915 and 1916 are often discussed as a breakthrough because they moved away from conventional representation. O'Keeffe credited Dow's ideas with helping her think differently about artistic composition. The influence was not simply a matter of imitation: she adapted the principles into an individual style.

Dow was an American art educator associated with principles of design and with the Arts and Crafts movement. He also taught at Teachers College, Columbia University, where his ideas reached many artists and teachers.