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Oil on linen, 30 1/8 x 40 inches
CR No. 1444
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Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Lawrence H. Bloedel Bequest
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An uneven band of blue arches into the composition from the left side, forming a sideways U-shape. Blue and green tendrils emerge from the blue band like tributaries diverging from a river. These elements appear to float in a hazy blue, white, and green background.
CR No. 1444
Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)
It Was Blue and Green
Source of title: backing inscription, Downtown Gallery Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks, Whitney Archive in 1969.
General Remarks
Titled It Was Blue and Green by O'Keeffe on Abiquiú Notebooks photograph. (Source: Lynes, 1999)
Inscriptions
Verso: inaccessible
Backing: "It Was Blue and Green / 1960 / oil / 30 x 36 {crossed out} 40 (crossing out and '40' in graphite) / canvas" (Label: printed, O'Keeffe (red-bordered), black ink)
(Source: Lynes, 1999)
Label on backing board lower right printed and handwritten in ink: Georgia O'Keeffe/ Albiqui, NM/ Title: It Was Blue and Green/ Year: 1960/ Medium: Oil/ Size: 30 x 36 [strikethrough] 40/ Base: Canvas/ Photograph #: [blank] Label on backing board upper right printed in ink: 'Congratulations from the World - the Exhibition for the World Art/ Treseasures'/ China Art Pavillion: October 1 - december 31, 2012/ Georgia O'Keeffe/ It Was Blue and Green, 1960/ Oil on canvas mounted on composition board/ Overall (sight): 30 1/16 x 40 1/8in. (76.4 x 101.9 cm)/ Frame: 30 ½ x 40 ½ x 1 1/2in. (77.5 x 102.9 x 3.8 cm)/ Whitney Museum of American Art, New York/ Lawrence H. Bloedel Bequest/ 77.1.37 Label on backing board upper right printed in ink: Kunsthaus Zurich, Heimplatz 1, 8001 Zurich/ Ausstellung Georgia O'Keeffe, 24.10.2003 - 1.2.2004/ Kat. Nr. 69/ Georgia O'Keeffe/ It Was Blue and Green, 1960/ Öl auf Leinwand, auf Karton gezogen/ 76,3 x 101,9 cm / 30 x 40"/ Whitney Museum of American Art, New York Label on backing board upper right printed in ink: WMAA # 77.1.37 / Cat. Rais. # 1444 / Exhibition Crate GOKA # 1444/ Georgia O'Keeffe/ It Was Blue and Green, 1960/ Oil on canvas mounted on composition board/ 30 1/16 x 40 1/8/ Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY/ Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction/ Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY Sept. 17, 2009 - Jan. 17, 2010 Label on backing board upper right printed in ink: Georgia O'Keeffe: Nature and Abstraction/ Irish Museum of Modern Art: 3/6/07 - 5/13/07/ Georgia O'Keeffe/ It Was Blue and Green, 1960/ Oil on canvas/ Mounted on composition board/ 30 1/16 x 40 1/8 in. (76.36 c 101.92 cm)/ Whitney Museum of American Art, New York/ Lawrence h. Bloedel Bequest/ 77.1.37/ Whitney Museum of American Art 945 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10021 Label on backing board upper right printed in ink and handwritten in marker: GEORGIA O'KEEFFE. Naturalezas intimas./ [on center left of label] [building logo]/ [on center right of label] CAJA: [illegible marking with strikethrough] 4/ Nº: 32/ 76, 36 x 101, 92 cm/ It was Blue and Green/ (Georgia O'Keeffe) Label on backing board upper right printed and handwritten in ink: WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART/ 945 MADISON AVENUE/ NEW YORK, NY 10021/ Georgia O'Keeffe/ It Was Blue and Green, 1960/ Oil on canvas mounted on composition board [strikethrough]/ 30 1/16 x 40 1/8 inches (76.4 x 101.92 cm.)/ 77.1.37/ LOAN#: ML.02.9.2, on loan to:/ Fundacion Juan March/ Castello, 77/ 48006 Madrid Spain/ "Georgia O'Keeffe", Fundacion Juan March, 1 February - 2/ June 2002 Label on backing board center right printed and handwritten in ink: WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART/ 945 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10021/SURROUNDINGS: RESPONSES TO/ THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE/ SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART/ JUNE 6, 1999 - JUNE 11, 2000/ Georgia O'Keeffe/ It Was Blue and Green, 1960/ Oil on canvas mounted on composition board [strikethrough], 30 1/16 x/ 40 1/8 inches/ Whitney Museum of American Art; Lawrence H./ Bloedel Bequest 77.1.37 Label on backing board center right printed and stamped in ink and in type: WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART/ 945 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10021/ Artist Georgia O'Keeffe/ Title IT WAS BLUE AND GREEN/ Date 1960 Catalogue No. 115/ Lender Lawrence H. Bloedel/ Exhibition GEORGIA O'KEEFFE/ RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION/OCTOBER 8 - NOVEMBER 29, 1970 Label on backing board center right printed in ink and in type: WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART/ 945 Madison Avenue at Seventy-Fifth Street New York, New York 10021/ Georgia O'Keeffe/ It Was Blue and Green, 1960/ Oil on canvas mounted on [strikethrough]/ [strikethrough] composition board/ 77.1.37/ OF, FOR, AND BY GEORGIA O'KEEFFE/ February 25 - May 4, 1994 Label on backing board lower right printed in ink and in type [torn label]: [not visible] TIST GEORGIA O'KEEFFE NO. 302/ [not visible] IT WAS BLUE AND GREEN DATE 1960/ [not visible] EDIUM Oil SIZE 40 x 30 S.P. [blank]/ THE DOWNTOWN GALLERY · 32 E 51st St., New York Label on backing board lower right printed in ink and in type: SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF ART/ REG. NO. 207.71/ ARTIST Georgia O'Keeffe/ TITLE IT WAS BLUE AND GREEN, 1960./ MEDIUM oil on canvas EX. DATES 3/19 - 4/25, 1971/ EXHIBITION GEORGIA O'KEEFFE : RETROSPECTIVE Label on backing board lower right in type: VITAL SIGNS/ OBJ. NO. 31/ BOX 11 Label on backing board lower right printed in ink and handwritten in ink and graphite: Williams College/ Museum of Art/ 9 [encircled] Temp. Loan/ No. 22.83.10 Label on backing board lower right in marker: [on lower left of label] obj./ 67/ [on lower right of label] crate/ 16 Label on backing board lower right in type: PLEASE NOTE: THIS PAINTING IS/ MOUNTED ON A HOLLOW-CORE PANEL/ DO NOT PUNCTURE EXCEPT AT THE/ EXTREME EDGES! (Source: Whitney Museum of American Art, 2025)
Technique
Oil Painting
Materials
Oil on linen
2009–2010
Whitney Museum of American Art (as Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction)
The Phillips Collection (as Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction)
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (as Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction)
2008–2009
Norton Museum of Art (as Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities)
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (as Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities)
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) (as Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities)
2016–2017
Tate Modern (as Georgia O'Keeffe)
Kunstforum Wien (as Georgia O'Keeffe)
Art Gallery of Ontario (as Georgia O'Keeffe)
1960-1961 collection of the artist; 1961-1976 collection of Lawrence H. Bloedel, New York, New York, and Williamstown, Massachusetts; 1976-1977 Estate of Lawrence H. Bloedel; 1977 Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (Lawrence H. Bloedel Bequest)
(Source: Whitney Museum of American Art, 2025)
© Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Version History
Core fields last updated 3/30/2026
Last verified by current collection Sep 15 2025
Source System ID
9450
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