Black Pansy & Forget-Me-Nots (Pansy)
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Caption
Georgia O'Keeffe American, 1887–1986. Black Pansy & Forget-Me-Nots (Pansy), 1926. Oil on canvas, frame: 32 3/4 x 18 x 1 3/4 in. (83.2 x 45.7 x 4.4 cm) 27 1/8 x 12 1/4 in. (68.9 x 31.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Alfred S. Rossin, 28.521. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 28.521_PS20.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Black Pansy & Forget-Me-Nots (Pansy)
Date
1926
Medium
Oil on canvas
Classification
Dimensions
frame: 32 3/4 x 18 x 1 3/4 in. (83.2 x 45.7 x 4.4 cm) 27 1/8 x 12 1/4 in. (68.9 x 31.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Alfred S. Rossin
Accession Number
28.521
Rights
© artist or artist's estate
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Frequent Art Questions
Tell me about this painting!
This painting was included in O'Keeffe's first solo museum show, held right here at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927! This floral subject pairs black and white, one of O'Keeffe's favorite color schemes in her wardrobe as well as her art.Here's a beautiful quote by O'Keeffe about flowers: "—in a way—nobody sees a flower---really—it is so small—we haven't time. . . .So I said to myself—I'll paint what I see—what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it."What was flower art like before O'Keeffe?
Typically, artists before her were fascinated in flowers as almost scientific objects of the natural world, or as metaphors and symbols, and they depicted them accordingly.She instead wanted to depict the flowers as she saw them, including the emotional power in each flower, and she did so by abstracting it.Can you tell me more about this painting?
"Black Pansy & Forget-Me-Nots (Pansy)" has a lot of history here at the Museum.The work was included in O'Keeffe's first museum show, which was held here at the Museum in 1927. At the time, the painting was owned by a private collection. O'Keeffe suggested that the collector donate the painting after the show closed!She's said about her flower paintings, "—in a way—nobody sees a flower---really—it is so small—we haven't time. . . .So I said to myself—I'll paint what I see—what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it."Thank you!Oil or watercolor?
This is oil on canvas.This painting was included in O'Keeffe's first solo museum show, right here at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927!What flower is this?
That is a pansy with forget-me-nots behind. This painting was included in O'Keeffe's first solo museum show, held right here at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927!It's stunning. The details. The blue and black colors. The scale of the flowers.
This painting was included in O'Keeffe's first museum show held here at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927. It combines two of the things O'Keeffe was most known for: her flower paintings and her affinity for black and white!Somehow having the perspective so zoomed in makes the flower seem almost alien. She wanted us to feel like we'd never really looked closely at a flower before.How did O'Keeffe choose her subjects?
O'Keeffe was often inspired by her environment and objects that she found in it. You can perceive a sense of place from a lot of her work. She would paint fall foliage in Lake George, or shells collected from along the shores of a beach in Bermuda, or bones collected from her walks in the New Mexico desert.Tell me more!
"Black Pansy & Forget-Me-Nots (Pansy)" was shown at the first solo museum show O'Keeffe ever had, right here at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927. It incorporates several elements that would quickly become signature motifs in O'Keeffe's artwork and persona. Among these are the close-up image, larger than life floral subject, and her frequent use of black and white in the painting. The scale of this and other floral paintings by the artist is no accident. As she said herself, "—in a way—nobody sees a flower---really—it is so small—we haven't time. . . .So I said to myself—I'll paint what I see—what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it."What is raking light?
Raking light means that light is being pointed at something at a very shallow angle, thus creating a lot of shadow. The setting sun applies raking light to the earth. I'm curious, what did you see that made you ask that?I just went to a gallery tour and the guide mentioned raking light in reference to this painting.I see! Raking light is frequently used by conservators to examine subtle 3-dimensionality in surfaces. The rises and falls of a painting's surface can tell a lot about it!Thanks!What was the public reaction to Georgia O'Keeffe's first show in this museum?
She was already well known in the New York City art world and beyond by the opening of her first museum show at the Brooklyn Museum in 1927. We know the critics viewed the exhibition positively. We don't have any record of the public reaction, but in general, her paintings were popular at the time.What's going on here?
This is one of O'Keeffe's famous flower paintings! Even though many people read these paintings as being references to female sexual anatomy, O'Keeffe herself has said they were actually inspired by the rapid industrialization of New York City. She commented that skyscrapers and other tall buildings were going up so quickly in New York City that they demanded attention. Flowers on the other hand, while beautiful, were small and she wanted people to notice them. She said to herself, "I'll paint what I see—what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it."Why do O'Keeffe's flower paintings usually have dark color?
That's a great question. The artist does seem to have had a preference for strong contrasts and deep hues at some times. However, she did also paint flowers in vibrant reds, yellows, blues, and other colors!This is a beautiful painting!
This work was actually featured in the first solo museum exhibition of O'Keeffe's art, which took place here at the Brooklyn Museum! She was inspired to paint her flowers this way by the tall buildings and skyscrapers going up in NYC at the time. She felt that flowers painted at this scale would make people stop and take notice.
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