Ghost Ranch became Georgia O'Keeffe's best-known New Mexico home and a major source of landscapes.
The dramatic retreat lies near Abiquiu in northern New Mexico, amid cliffs, mesas, and vividly colored rock formations. O'Keeffe first visited the region in the 1930s and found its landscape visually compelling.
She later acquired a house in nearby Abiquiu and spent much of her life working in New Mexico. Paintings based on the region include views of cliffs, bones, roads, and architectural details. Ghost Ranch is therefore strongly associated with her artistic identity, even though it was not the only place she painted.
Taos and other New Mexico locations also have important artistic histories, which can cause confusion. O'Keeffe's work is often described broadly as New Mexican, but Ghost Ranch is the particularly recognizable landscape setting linked to many of her best-known scenes.