Georgia O'Keeffe repeatedly photographed and painted Ghost Ranch after first visiting the New Mexico site in 1934.
Ghost Ranch is a dramatic landscape near Abiquiu, known for colorful cliffs, mesas, and broad desert views. O'Keeffe found the area visually compelling and made it a major source of paintings, including works based on the surrounding red and yellow formations. She later acquired a house at Ghost Ranch in 1940 and used it as a seasonal retreat.
Ghost Ranch is often confused with the nearby Abiquiu house, which O'Keeffe acquired in 1945 and restored as her principal home. The two locations are distinct. Another frequently confused subject is Black Place, a dark landscape formation near Ghost Ranch that became one of her best-known New Mexico motifs. Ghost Ranch therefore refers to the larger landscape and retreat, not the title of one particular painting.