Abiquiú became Georgia O'Keeffe's home and a recurring subject after she moved permanently to New Mexico in 1949. She renovated and lived in a historic adobe house in the village, which became her principal residence and studio.
O'Keeffe had first visited New Mexico in 1929 and returned regularly for many summers. After Alfred Stieglitz died in 1946, she moved permanently to the state in 1949. The Abiquiú house, especially its courtyard wall and door, appeared in several paintings and became one of her most recognizable architectural subjects.
Abiquiú is distinct from Ghost Ranch, another New Mexico location central to her work. Ghost Ranch was a landscape and residence farther north, while the Abiquiú house was the home she restored and occupied for much of her later life. She also maintained a home in Abiquiú's wider region and spent time in Santa Fe.