Oriental Poppies II 

Georgia O'Keeffe created "Oriental Poppies II" in the earlier half of the twentieth century, a time when gender roles in art were heavily skewed towards male artists. O'Keeffe challenged these norms, forging her own path. This painting, like much of her work, focuses on the intimate details of flowers, rendered in a way that evokes the female body. The intense close-up and sensual curves break away from traditional, idealized representations of women. The vivid reds and yellows create a powerful, almost overwhelming visual experience that speaks to themes of female sexuality and desire. O'Keeffe once stated, "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment." In this world, she reclaims the female form, presenting it not as an object, but as a landscape of intense emotional and physical experience. "Oriental Poppies II" thus becomes a statement about female agency and self-expression, deeply resonating with personal and societal struggles for equality.