Which New York skyscraper inspired Georgia O'Keeffe's 1920s city paintings?

The Shelton Hotel inspired Georgia O'Keeffe's 1920s city paintings.

O'Keeffe lived at the Shelton Hotel in Manhattan after it opened in 1923. The building, now known as the New Yorker Hotel? No—the Shelton was a separate residential hotel on Lexington Avenue, and this distinction is important when identifying her New York subjects. From the Shelton, she could observe the city from elevated viewpoints.

Her paintings and drawings of New York transformed skyscrapers, bridges, and architectural details into bold modern compositions. Works such as New York Night and Radiator Building—Night use simplified shapes, strong verticals, and dramatic contrasts rather than offering ordinary documentary views.

O'Keeffe's urban work predates her lasting association with New Mexico. She continued to paint New York subjects during the 1920s, while also developing the enlarged flower paintings for which she later became especially famous. The Shelton therefore connects her career to the architecture of modern Manhattan.