March 6, 1986

Georgia O'Keeffe was a legendary American painter. She lived to be 98 years old (November 15, 1887-March 6, 1986) and spent much of that time obeying her artistic instinct.  Her skull and flower themes are an iconic presence in American cultural history though some prefer her earlier canvases. She did not paint cats. However there is a charming photo of her, from the time before she met Stieglitz or exhibited in New York City,  and on the reverse of the photo is written: "1912 or 1913 Georgia with her cat- Amarillo, Tx."

The faded photo shows a sitting young woman, her hands on a mainly black, shorthaired cat. The cat is caught in the midst of jumping off her lap. So OKeeffe shared that universal experience: the cat is not having it's picture taken.