Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore Exhibit at MFA Boston

American painter Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) and British sculptor Henry Moore (1898–1986) are among the most distinctive artists of the 20th century. They have long been admired for their extraordinary distillations of natural forms into abstraction.

Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore are two of the 20th century’s most iconic artists, each known for capturing the beauty of natural forms in ways that really stand out—O’Keeffe with her bold, colorful flower paintings and Moore with his striking, large-scale sculptures.

This exhibition is the first to bring their work together, pairing their pieces in ways that highlight how they both approached abstraction and saw the world around them.

Both artists were deeply inspired by nature and used unusual perspectives and layered compositions to transform familiar shapes into something entirely new.

O’Keeffe’s life in New Mexico and Moore’s in the English countryside were huge influences, and they both had collections of bones, stones, shells, and other natural objects that inspired their art.

The show features more than 150 works, including paintings, sculptures, and drawings from both O’Keeffe and Moore, plus a cool setup that recreates parts of each artist’s studio with their actual tools and objects.

These studio spaces offer a glimpse into how they worked and lived, something you don’t often get to see in a museum.

Organized by the San Diego Museum of Art in collaboration with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the Henry Moore Foundation, the exhibit includes about 90 works by Moore and 60 by O’Keeffe. It's truly an impressive collection. 

The MFA has also added pieces from its own collection to create a conversation between O’Keeffe, Moore, and other modernists of the time like Edward Weston, Barbara Hepworth, Arthur Dove, and Jean Arp—all artists who found inspiration in nature.

You may be inspired, along with many others, to come in a sketch or draw in front of some of their art pieces.  It's a beautifully curated exhibit and well worth a visit.

How to See It A timed-entry ticket is required for this exhibit, even for members, so make sure to reserve yours ahead of time to guarantee entry. Bonus: your ticket includes general admission to the rest of the museum!

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Stacey Sao has been the Managing Director of the family-friendly events and activities website, BostonCentral for well over 20 years. She continues to enjoy discovering and exploring new places to visit in the Greater Boston area.