Jimson weed inspired Georgia O'Keeffe's painting Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1.
The work presents a single white jimson weed blossom at an enlarged scale. O'Keeffe painted it in 1932, after finding the plant growing near her home in New Mexico. Its funnel-shaped flower gave her a strong subject for exploring line, symmetry, shadow, and the contrast between white petals and a light background.
Jimson weed is also known as Datura stramonium and has a long history of toxicity. All parts of the plant can be poisonous, so the painting's beauty should not be confused with culinary or medicinal safety. O'Keeffe's picture is an artwork, not a botanical instruction or a recommendation to handle the plant.
The painting became especially famous after its 2014 auction at Sotheby's, where it sold for $44.4 million. That sale brought renewed attention to both O'Keeffe's flower practice and the market history of women artists. The title identifies the plant directly, while the number distinguishes this work from other flower paintings in the series.