Taking winter-stripped trees in upstate New York as her subject, Georgia O'Keeffe simplified what she saw until what is left in this painting is an exploration of shape and color. O'Keeffe abstracted the essence of these forms by pulling in close to the trees without focusing on details; the forms are smooth, the bark dissolving into areas of soft grays and warm beige. The shallow space and cropped trees lend an ambiguity to the subject resolved only by the descriptive title. Throughout her career, O'Keeffe united abstraction with an abiding interest in nature, creating signature, close-up images of natural forms.

Adapted from

• Wiliam Keyse Rudolph, DMA label copy, 2005

• Eleanor Jones Harvey, DMA unpublished material, 1997

• Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM
  Learn more about Georgia O'Keeffe at the eponymous museum's website.

• Tate, London
  This resource from Tate is a great way to introduce the work Georgia O'Keeffe to children.