Pelvis II

From 1943 to 1947 O'Keeffe painted a series that explored the intricate shapes and surfaces of animal bones. The bones were pictured in their entirety or in magnified detail. Here, in this abstract variation, she draws attention to the blue sky seen through empty sockets. The work demonstrates O'Keeffe's ability to present what the writer Jean Toomer described as "the universe through the portal of a bone." (Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)