After Alfred Stieglitz. Early works of Georgia O’Keeffe, 1905–1917. Part I, 1905–1914

Abstract

This article discusses early works of Georgia O’Keeffe, famous American abstract painter, and examines various factors which were forming her art from the schooling period to her first solo exhibition in 1917. Its aim is to discuss the assumption, widespread in the art history, about the major impact of Stieglitz (the artist’s promoter) on O’Keeffe’s art. By studying pictures, the artist’s memoires, and education methods of her teachers, the author verifies that her art was formed by diverse experiences, gained during the considered years, and not by Alfred Stieglitz only—as many scholars seem to claim. The painter’s artistic style is explained as the outcome of both American and European aesthetic thought and the legacy of various art tendencies, like Academic Art, European Art Nouveau, Post-Impressionism, and Oriental Art.