The Pedernal became a recurring subject in Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexico paintings.
Cerro Pedernal, commonly called the Pedernal, is a flat-topped mountain near Abiquiu, New Mexico. O'Keeffe could see it from her home and studio at Ghost Ranch, and its distinctive silhouette appears repeatedly in her work. She transformed the recognizable landform into simplified, intensely colored compositions.
O'Keeffe famously described the mountain as her private property because she painted it so often, joking that she could have it if she painted it enough. The phrase captures how her art turned a specific place into a personal visual symbol.
The Pedernal is sometimes confused with other dramatic New Mexico formations, especially Shiprock. Shiprock is a different volcanic landmark in northwestern New Mexico. O'Keeffe painted many regional subjects, but the isolated, horizontal-topped Pedernal is especially associated with her.