New Mexico became Georgia O'Keeffe's lifelong artistic home after her first visit there in 1929.
O'Keeffe first traveled to New Mexico in 1929 and was immediately struck by its dramatic landscapes, adobe architecture, bones, and intense light. She returned repeatedly during the 1930s and later made the state her permanent home.
Her paintings of the region helped define her public image. Works featuring the cliffs around Ghost Ranch, the churches of northern New Mexico, and bleached animal bones transformed local subjects into powerful modernist compositions. She often worked from places she revisited over many years.
O'Keeffe lived in Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch during different periods. New Mexico was not merely a backdrop for her career; it became a sustained source of visual ideas and a place where she could work with considerable independence. Her homes and studios are now preserved as historic sites connected with her art.