Cliffs Beyond Abiquiu, Dry Waterfall

Rounded cliffs in pale cream and beige rise with patches of green vegetation clustered along their faces, surrounding a dry waterfall rendered in warm earth tones. The forms seem to fold around a central channel where water once ran, now left as a quiet stone groove. This oil painting on canvas was made in 1943 and belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art, having come into the collection through a bequest from the artist herself. Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986), an American painter, is known for her desert landscapes that distilled rock and earth into simplified shapes and tones. One detail worth noticing is how the dry waterfall's channel draws the eye inward, its earthen hues contrasting with the paler stone that surrounds it, giving the composition a sense of stillness despite its rugged subject.