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Why did Georgia O’Keeffe paint flowers on such a large scale?

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Alfred Stieglitz: photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe — Georgia O’Keeffe Georgia O'Keeffe, photograph by Alfred Stieglitz, 1922.

Georgia O’Keeffe painted flowers on a massive scale to compel viewers to pause and truly observe the natural world. She believed that by magnifying these subjects, she could force even busy individuals—specifically New Yorkers—to take the time to see the beauty and detail she perceived in them.1

O’Keeffe explicitly rejected contemporary critics who interpreted her work through the lens of sexual symbolism. Instead, she maintained that her large-format paintings were a direct expression of her own experiences and a way to present familiar, comfortable natural subjects in a distinctly modern, fresh light. By enlarging the flowers, she shifted the focus from a literal representation to a composition of shapes and colors that highlighted the importance of nature.1