Which New York hotel inspired Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of Manhattan from 1925?

The Shelton Hotel inspired Georgia O'Keeffe's Manhattan paintings from 1925.

O'Keeffe lived at the Shelton Hotel, a skyscraper apartment hotel in New York, during the mid-1920s. From its upper floors, she looked across the city and painted architectural views that emphasized vertical lines, geometric patterns, and the changing light of Manhattan. Her 1926 painting Shelton with Sunspots, N.Y. is one example of this urban series.

The Shelton was completed in 1923 and stood on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Its height and apartment-hotel design gave residents elevated views unusual for the period. O'Keeffe's city paintings show that her work was not limited to flowers or rural landscapes; buildings and streets were equally capable of becoming abstract visual structures.

The hotel is sometimes mixed up with the Chelsea Hotel, famous for its association with writers, musicians, and artists. O'Keeffe's well-known New York skyscraper views are specifically connected with the Shelton. The paintings also reflect her broader interest in modern city architecture.