“Stop and look at this painting by Georgia O'Keeffe. It transforms a white rose into a mesmerizing swirl of light and form, blurring the line between a dancer's skirt and an electric glow.”
A brilliant light radiates from the center of this canvas, its energy contained within a series of flat, Cubist-inspired planes. Titled Ballet Skirt or Electric Light, this painting is Georgia O'Keeffe's most abstracted depiction of a white rose, transforming the delicate flower into a powerful, almost architectural form. The composition emphasizes the essence of the blooming rose, stripping away naturalistic detail to focus on its dynamic core. The way the forms unfold suggests both the swirling motion of a dancer's skirt and the intense glow of an electric bulb, inviting multiple interpretations of its vibrant, spiraling heart. This work reflects O'Keeffe's deep engagement with abstraction during her New York years, a period she fondly called her "New Yorks."
- Artist
- Georgia O'Keeffe
- Date
- 1927
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 91.6 × 76.2 cm (36 1/16 × 30 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Alfred Stieglitz Collection, bequest of Georgia O'Keeffe
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The central bright white form, suggesting both petals and light.
The way the surrounding planes seem to push and pull around the core.
Subtle shifts in color, from cool blues to warm yellows and pinks.
The hard edges that define each abstract segment.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Ballet Skirt or Electric Light (from the White Rose Motif) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Georgia O'Keeffe
1887–1986 · United StatesGeorgia O'Keeffe, the 'Mother of American modernism,' transformed natural forms into powerful abstractions, from magnified flowers to the stark beauty of the New Mexico desert.
Further Works by O'Keeffe
Black Iris
1926 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Blue and Green Music
1919 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Shelton with Sunspots, N.Y.
1926 · Art Institute of Chicago
Black Cross, New Mexico
1929 · Art Institute of Chicago
Cow's Skull with Calico Roses
1931 · Art Institute of Chicago
Red and Pink Rocks and Teeth
1938 · Art Institute of Chicago
Peru – Machu Picchu, Morning Light
1957 · Art Institute of Chicago
Road – Mesa with Mist
1961 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond O'Keeffe: works from the same years.
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Memories of the Past
Ivan Puni · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Straße mit Passanten bei Nachtbeleuchtung
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1927 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Okada Saburosuke · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Bull's Head
Mikhail Larionov · 1913 · Tretyakov Gallery
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Circus Rider
Marc Chagall · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Lemons on a Pewter Plate
Henri Matisse · 1926 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Fleeing Ghost
Paul Klee · 1929 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Blue Forest
Max Ernst · 1925 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Abstraction: Background with Blue Cloudy Sky
Pablo Picasso · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Grant Wood · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Eye
René Magritte · 1932 · Art Institute of Chicago