Ghost Ranch gave Georgia O'Keeffe many subjects for paintings of cliffs and desert terrain.
Ghost Ranch is a dramatic area near Abiquiú in northern New Mexico, known for colorful cliffs, mesas, and wide desert views. O'Keeffe began visiting the area in the late 1920s and maintained a small house there for many years.
The landscape appears in numerous works, including paintings of the Pedernal, a flat-topped mountain visible from the region. O'Keeffe once said that the mountain was her “private mountain,” a phrase that illustrates how strongly she connected particular landforms with personal meaning.
Ghost Ranch is sometimes confused with O'Keeffe’s Abiquiú home and studio. They are different places, though both were important to her life and art. Ghost Ranch also became widely known through its connection with the Presbyterian conference center and its later use as a filming location.