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It Was Yellow and Pink III

Semiabstracted painting inspired by an aerial view. Yellow lines of varying thicknesses cross vertically and horizontally over a pink ground, much like rivers.
© The Art Institute of Chicago

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  • Semiabstracted painting inspired by an aerial view. Yellow lines of varying thicknesses cross vertically and horizontally over a pink ground, much like rivers.

Date:

1960

Artist:

Georgia O’Keeffe (American, 1887–1986)

About this artwork

With its sinuous lines of yellow against a pink backdrop, this painting can be seen as purely abstract, without a reference to the natural world. However, It Was Yellow and Pink III actually represents something Georgia O’Keeffe directly perceived. Having recently started traveling by airplane, the artist described how she was captivated by the view from far above: “I went around the world—and I noticed a surprising number of deserts and wonderful rivers. The rivers actually seem to come up and hit you in the eye.”

Status

On View, Gallery 265

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Georgia O'Keeffe

Title

It Was Yellow and Pink III

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1960

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

101.6 × 76.6 cm (40 × 30 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection, bequest of Georgia O'Keeffe

Reference Number

1987.250.2

Copyright

© The Art Institute of Chicago

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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