 |
| Georgia O'Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, 1929, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Georgia O'Keeffe's Ranchos de Taos Paintings, 1929
If you have a chance to visit the current exhibit at the The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum entitled Georgia O'Keeffe in New Mexico: Architecture, Katsinam, and the Land, you will see one of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of the Ranchos de Taos Church, painted on her first trip to Taos, New Mexico in 1929.Until recently, I had only seen photos of the painting.
 |
| Georgia O'Keeffe, Ranchos Church II, 1929, The Phillips Collection, copyright Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation |
Finally I See Taos
In mid-April this year, racing to beat a major spring storm on my way home to Colorado from Mexico, I zoomed through New Mexico. After bypassing Santa Fe and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, I headed for the Colorado border and another full day's drive home trying to beat the blizzard.I was excited that I would at least drive through Taos so I could get a feel for the place that Georgia O'Keeffe first visited in 1929.
About 4 miles before Taos, I glanced to the right and there it was -- The Church of San Francis Assisi of the Ranchos de Taos.
We stopped and I took photos of the famous church. From the front, the church looks similar to many of the adobe mission churches, I have seen in Mexico.
It is the back of the church that makes it unique (and famous), painted by so many artists.
O'Keeffe -- Crosses and Churches
In my last blog post, I talked about Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of crosses near Taos. |
| Georgia O'Keeffe, Grey Cross with Blue, 1929, oil on canvas, The Albuquerque Museum. copyright Georgia O'Keeffe Museum |
In addition to painting crosses, Georgia O'Keeffe painted at least four versions of the Ranchos de Taos Church.
Georgia O'Keeffe, Ranchos Church No. 1, 1929, Norton Museum of Art
O'Keeffe Talks About Her Taos Paintings
O'Keeffe later discussed those paintings in her autobiorgraphy and said:
The Ranchos de Taos Church is one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards. . . I had to paint it—the back several times, the front once.
 |
| Rancho de Taos Church, Rear View II, April 2013, photo by Pat Cypher |
 |
| Georgia O'Keeffe, Ranchos Church No. 1, 1929, Norton Museum of Ar |
Of her painting of a fragment of the Rancho de Taos Church, Georgia O'Keeffe said,
I finally painted a part of the back thinking with that piece of the back I said all I needed to say about the church.
 |
| Georgia O'Keeffe, Fragment of the Ranchos de Taos Church, 1929 |
O'Keeffe also talked about her penchant for painting only parts of what she saw:
I often painted fragments of things because it seemed to make my statement as well as or better than the whole could.
And I long ago came to the conclusion that even if I could put down accurately the thing that I saw and enjoyed, it would not give the observer the kind of feeling it gave me.
I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at—not copy it .
-- Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe -- 1929, A Pivotal Year
When O'Keeffe arrived back in New York in the fall of 1929, she 40 years old. In addition to painting in Taos, Georgia O'Keeffe bought a car there and learned to drive. She was now free to drive wherever she wanted to paint.
By 1929 O'Keeffe had already become a famous artist, thanks in part to her husband Alfred Stieglitz incessant promotion of her.
O'Keefe had deeply wanted to have a child with Alfred Stieglitz, but he did not. They had spent every summer with Stieglitz's family, at Lake George in New York and that family very much intruded on O'Keeffe's private time to paint. Her decision to go to New Mexico was a seminal decision that would forever change their lives
Georgia O'Keeffe returned to New Mexico year after year, eventually settling there permanently after the death of her husband. For me, 1929 was a pivotal year in Georgia O'Keeffe's life and I am reminded of that each time I see one of her paintings of crosses or the church at Ranchos de Taos.
By 1929 O'Keeffe had already become a famous artist, thanks in part to her husband Alfred Stieglitz incessant promotion of her.
O'Keefe had deeply wanted to have a child with Alfred Stieglitz, but he did not. They had spent every summer with Stieglitz's family, at Lake George in New York and that family very much intruded on O'Keeffe's private time to paint. Her decision to go to New Mexico was a seminal decision that would forever change their lives
Georgia O'Keeffe returned to New Mexico year after year, eventually settling there permanently after the death of her husband. For me, 1929 was a pivotal year in Georgia O'Keeffe's life and I am reminded of that each time I see one of her paintings of crosses or the church at Ranchos de Taos.
Back in Colorado -- Denver and Ward
I did have a chance to see O'Keeffe's painting of Ranchos de Taos when my sons took me on a surprise visit to the O'Keeffe Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum two days after I arrived back in Colorado (Thank you Wade and Adam!).
However, I did NOT beat that Spring Storm and thus spent five days in Denver with my sons before I was able to get up the mountain to my cabin in Ward and frozen water pipes. This is what my cabin looked like when I finally had my road plowed and was able to get home on April 21.
 |
| Ward, Colorado, April 2013, by Pat Cypher |
 |
| My Cabin, Ward, Colorado, April 2013 by Pat Cypher |
 |
| Looking out my window, Ward, Colorado, April 2013 by Pat Cypher |
 |
| My Yard, Ward, Colorado, April 2013 by Pat Cypher |
If You Plan To Visit Places O'Keeffe Painted
Summer is a wonderful time to travel, so if you plan a trip to Taos or the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, be sure to check out O'Keeffe Country, a guide to people, places and things to discover in Northern New Mexico.
There will also be an opportunitiy to see the Georgia O'Keeffe in New Mexico Exhibit
at the Heard Museum in Phoenix from September 27, 2013 until January 12, 2014.
I am interested in visiting the places that Georgia O'Keeffe lived and painted. I have camped in the Palo Duro Canyon in Texas. Of course, I live in the town of Ward, Colorado that she visited and painted in 1917 just before she left Canyon, Texas for New York City and fame.
Next, I Want to Go Back To Taos
Next I plan to return to Taos, New Mexico for a longer stay. One of the places in Taos that I hope to visit is the Mable Dodge Luhan House where Georgia O'Keeffe stayed in Taos on her first visits to New Mexico, beginning in 1929.
 |
| Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Taos, NM |
To me it is important now to first spend time in Taos before moving on to visit O'Keeffe's first home in New Mexico Ghost Ranch or the Georgia O'Keeffe's Home and Studio, and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
Follow O'Keeffe Chronicles
O'Keeffe-Chronicles is now getting visitors from around the world. There are so many who truly appreciate Georgia O'Keeffe and her work and it's great to have a chance to connect. I love sharing my thoughts of Georgia O'Keeffe.
If you'd like to follow this blog, please click on the RSS feed pop-out button at the upper right of this page.
You can also follow my Georgia O'Keeffe Pinterest Boards.
Hope you have enjoyed this entry. I really appreciate your comments, so please drop me a line in the comment box below and join the discussion.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please join the discussion and tell us what you think about Georgia O'Keeffe