Ghost Ranch became one of Georgia O'Keeffe's best-known homes and sources of inspiration.
O'Keeffe first visited the area in northern New Mexico in the 1930s and began spending extended periods there. She acquired a house at Ghost Ranch in 1940, alongside her separate home and studio at Abiquiú.
The area's dramatic cliffs, expansive skies, dry terrain, and unusual geological forms appear repeatedly in her paintings. O'Keeffe often explored the landscape on foot and by car, selecting views that she transformed through simplification, close cropping, and bold color.
Ghost Ranch is near Abiquiú, but the two places are not identical. O'Keeffe's Abiquiú house is especially associated with its courtyard and gate, while Ghost Ranch is associated with the red cliffs and wide northern New Mexico landscape.