The White Place in Sun

The White Place in Sun — Georgia O'Keeffe. 1943.

Medium: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 71.1 × 55.9 cm (28 × 22 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Georgia O’Keeffe often painted the dramatic geological formation known as the White Place, or Plaza Blanca, which she could see from a window in her home near Abiquiu, New Mexico. Composed of a white stone that stands out starkly against the colors of the surrounding terrain, the White Place was whittled and smoothed by water and wind over centuries into a striking formation resembling columns, cliffs, and towers. Here, O’Keeffe selected a view that emphasizes a deep cleft between two spires. The V-shaped composition accentuates the interplay between the brilliant blue sky, the eerie white color, and the horizontal striations of the rock.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.