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Drawing XIII

1916–17
Not on view
In drawings like this, O'Keeffe asserted her independence from her traditional art training. Filling large sheets of paper with bold strokes of charcoal, her compositions evoke the growth and movement of nature through abstract forms. Here, the image is divided into three parallel sections. On the right, meandering lines suggest a flowing river or a rising flame. Four rounded bulbs in the center recall a rolling hillside or densely foliated trees, while the jagged line at left, accentuated by erasure marks, alludes to mountain peaks or a flash of lightning. The power of these early drawings was not lost on Alfred Stieglitz, who immediately offered to show Drawing XIII and other O'Keeffe charcoals in an exhibition at his gallery 291 in 1916.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Drawing XIII
  • Artist: Georgia O'Keeffe (American, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin 1887–1986 Santa Fe, New Mexico)
  • Date: 1916–17
  • Medium: Charcoal with erasing on paper
  • Dimensions: 24 3/8 × 18 1/2 in. (61.9 × 47 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1950
  • Object Number: 50.236.2
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

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The Work of Georgia O'Keeffe. A Portfolio of Ten Paintings
Georgia O'Keeffe
Knight Publishers
1937
[Door and Adobe Wall, Abiquiu, New Mexico], Georgia O'Keeffe American, Gelatin silver print
[Door and Adobe Wall, Abiquiu, New Mexico]
Georgia O'Keeffe
1957–58
[Looking from Bedroom at Abiquiu Towards Rio Chama, New Mexico], Georgia O'Keeffe American, Gelatin silver print
[Looking from Bedroom at Abiquiu Towards Rio Chama, New Mexico]
Georgia O'Keeffe
1957–58
[Studio Door and Adobe Wall, Abiquiu, New Mexico], Georgia O'Keeffe American, Gelatin silver print
[Studio Door and Adobe Wall, Abiquiu, New Mexico]
Georgia O'Keeffe
1957–58
[Looking from Garage to Studio Door, Abiquiu, New Mexico], Georgia O'Keeffe American, Gelatin silver print
[Looking from Garage to Studio Door, Abiquiu, New Mexico]
Georgia O'Keeffe
1957–58

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