bella donna

Georgia O'Keeffe painted this petunia, "Bella Donna," in 1939, and she made it enormous. The soft white petals stretch across the whole canvas, curling and folding almost like drapes of cloth or drifting clouds. A small green center anchors everything, drawing your gaze right into the middle of the bloom. O'Keeffe loved doing this. She figured that most people rush past a small flower without a second glance, so she blew it up to a size that nobody could ignore.

Often called the mother of American modernism, O'Keeffe made flower paintings that rank among the best known art of the twentieth century. Critics spent years debating whether these blossoms hid deeper meanings, but she waved off those interpretations and said she was simply painting what she saw. The real pleasure here comes from the light. Gentle grays and greens dissolve into creamy white, all set against a thin strip of blue sky. Calm and a little dreamy, it rewards anyone willing to really look at a single flower.