|
Oil on canvas, 19 15/16 x 36 inches
CR No. 1058
|
Alfred Stieglitz Collection, gift of Georgia O'Keeffe, 1969.834
|
Soft, gray hills stretch across the composition. A few small crags interrupt the smooth planes of the hills. Near the bottom of the work, the gray hills meet tan, flat earth. A strip of blue sky is visible above.
CR No. 1058
Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)
The Black Place
Source of title: Whitney Archive, Downtown Gallery Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks, 1944 New York (An American Place) exhibition checklist.
General Remarks
Whitney Archive indicates, "Exam at Amer. Place, March 1946.. . . No signature. Infor. from Miss Bry (An American Place), July 1949: On permanent loan to the AIC from Georgia O'Keeffe as part of the Alfred Stieglitz Coll. Miss Bry said it was the oblong mountains. Also called 'Black Place Painted Grey.'" "[The Black Place].. . was painted in summer when the sun seems to burn the color out of everything" (O'Keeffe to Caroline Fesler, undated, museum files). (Source: Lynes, 1999)
Inscriptions
No markings recto. Stamped verso, top-left and bottom-right, impressed: "[3]6"; stamped verso, top-right, impressed: "[2]0"; stamped verso, bottom-left, impressed: "20". Markings and labels on foamcore backing: label (rectangular, white) affixed verso, top-middle, printed and typed in black ink: “FROM / THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO / CHICAGO ILLINOIS 60603, U. S. A. / To / “#1969.834 / O'KEEFFE, GEORGIA / "The Black Place”". Frame verso not inspected. (Source: Art Institute of Chicago, 2025)
Technique
Oil Painting
Materials
Oil on canvas
1966
Amon Carter Museum of American Art (as Georgia O'Keeffe: An Exhibition of the Work of the Artist from 1915 to 1966)
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFA H) (as Georgia O'Keeffe: An Exhibition of the Work of the Artist from 1915 to 1966)
1946
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986), New York and New Mexico, then Abiquiú, NM, from 1949 [on loan to the Art Institute of Chicago from 1949; letter from Georgia O’Keeffe to Charles C. Cunningham, Dec. 9, 1969; copy in curatorial object file]; given through the Alfred Stieglitz Collection to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1969. (Source: Art Institute of Chicago, 2025)
© Art Institute of Chicago
Version History
Core fields last updated 3/30/2026
Last verified by current collection Dec 10 2025
Source System ID
10175
| Date | Field | Changed From | Changed To |
|---|---|---|---|
| mm/dd/yyyy | Artist | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Main title | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Year | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Media | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Credit line | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Provenance | Changed from data | Changed to data |
Conservation
Information is from the most recently submitted report, please contact the current owner to verify updated details.Information provided for Access O'Keeffe by Art Institute of Chicago in 2025.
The painting is executed on a single piece of canvas tacked to a four-member keyable stretcher with standard size markings (20 and 36, respectively) imprinted on the bars. The work is thinly painted and the canvas texture remains visible throughout.
The painting is unlined and appears unvarnished with a relatively matte surface. Two of the eight stretcher keys are missing and the corners are nailed closed. The canvas is slightly slack with a slight dip and buckling at the upper right. Debris between the stretcher bar and canvas is causing a curving bulge along the lower edge, right of center. There is a stretcher bar crack along the top. The tacking margins are taped and the work is housed in the artist's original silver-tone thin-profile metal frame.
DOWNLOAD IMAGE
Terms of use
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is dedicated to fostering access to its collections to inspire education, research, and creative engagement. Through Access O'Keeffe, the Museum’s digital catalogue raisonné project, we provide free tools for engaging with Georgia O'Keeffe’s full body of work. As part of this initiative, we encourage the download of low-resolution images for educational and fair use purposes.
Certain works by Georgia O'Keeffe are under the copyright of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, while others are managed by different rights holders. For commercial uses, users must seek authorization directly from the respective copyright holder.
By downloading and using these images, users agree to the following terms and conditions of use including the Museum’s reproduction guidelines. Users will play a vital role in preserving the integrity of the artist’s work while supporting broader public access.
Permitted Uses
Fair Use:
Images may be used under fair use principles for purposes such as:
- Educational: Use in teaching materials, presentations, and coursework
- Research and scholarship: Academic research articles, theses, dissertations and noncommercial publications
- Creative projects: Reference or inspiration for personal artwork, such as sketches, paintings, or digital art, if the works are not sold or used commercially.
Conditions of Use
By downloading images of artwork from Access O'Keeffe, users agree to adhere to the Museum’s reproduction guidelines for artwork by Georgia O'Keeffe. Images must not be altered, manipulated, or modified in any way that compromises their integrity or misrepresents the original work. Specifically, artworks may not be cropped, distorted, or subjected to the following alterations:
- Cropping
- Rotation, inversion, or changes to the original proportions
- Color adjustments
- Superimposition of text, graphics, or other elements
- Animation, cartooning, or other forms of reinterpretation
- Removal or modification of blemishes, inscriptions, or other original features
- Printing artwork on 3D materials, including fabrics
Unauthorized Uses
Unauthorized uses of Georgia O'Keeffe’s works include any applications that fall outside the scope of fair use, such as those intended for commercial profit generating purposes.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Publications and merchandise that are sold or generate income.
- Reproductions in marketing materials, advertisements, or promotional campaigns.
- Use in exhibitions or displays that charge admission fees.
For any such uses, prior written authorization must be obtained from the appropriate copyright holder noted in Access O'Keeffe.
For any commercial use, prior written permission is required from the copyright holder. Please contact the Digital Experience and Rights Manager at [email protected]
ADD TO LIST
COPY CITATION
Georgia O'Keeffe. The Black Place, 1943. Access O’Keeffe, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, https://access-ok.okeeffemuseum.org/object/10175.