Ghost Ranch inspired many of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of New Mexico cliffs and desert scenery. The dramatic ranch lies near Abiquiú in northern New Mexico, an area whose formations became central to her work.
O'Keeffe began visiting the region in the 1930s and repeatedly painted its distinctive landscapes. She was especially attracted to the long, pale cliffs and isolated forms, translating them into simplified compositions rather than literal topographic records.
Ghost Ranch is sometimes mixed up with O'Keeffe's Abiquiú home. They are separate nearby places, although both shaped her New Mexico practice. The ranch is now associated with education and retreat programs as well as with O'Keeffe's landscape paintings.