Ghost Ranch became one of Georgia O'Keeffe's best-known sources of landscape imagery. The retreat and education center lies near Abiquiú in northern New Mexico, amid dramatic cliffs and desert terrain.
O'Keeffe began visiting Ghost Ranch in the 1930s while spending summers in New Mexico. She was drawn to the region's sharply colored hills, eroded rock formations, and broad skies. The landscape supplied recurring subjects for paintings such as Ranchos Church and related New Mexico scenes.
Ghost Ranch was distinct from O'Keeffe's home at Abiquiú, although the two locations are often mentioned together. She owned a house in Abiquiú and also maintained a home at Ghost Ranch for part of her later life.
The area remains closely associated with O'Keeffe because she repeatedly returned to the same local forms rather than treating the Southwest as a one-time travel subject. Her paintings turned regional landmarks into widely recognized images of the American landscape.