This painting features vivid colors with high chromes of red and blue. It features a combination of contrasting colors. For instance, the top left of the image is mostly black with hints of grey and blue. On the other hand, the painting's top right side is bright with blue, hints of white, and some black areas. The center of the painting features black, grey, and some red, blue, and white. The rest of the painting features more black, hints of grey, yellow, orange, red, hints of green, and blue. The painting's background is mostly blue at the top and red, yellow, and orange at the bottom.
The color contrast is reminiscent of the early American Modernism era. This painting is assertive in its composition and the deliberateness in its brushwork. It is also an evocation of Georgia O'Keeffe's husband, Stieglitz, who often adorned a dark cape lined in red. Unlike most paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe, this is not one of the simplest to describe. It is hard to identify the object or subject of the painting without looking at it keenly.
Inspiration
Georgia O'Keeffe was very fond of Lake George. Her relationship with the lake dates back to when she declared her interest in becoming a painter. She first got access to the lake when she was awarded the William Merrit Chase Still Life Prize from the League of Students Art. This award gave her a place in the outdoor summer school on Lake George. The time she spent at this summer school inspired most of her works featuring Lake George. Later on, after she married her prominent husband, she also spent a lot of time on the Stieglitz estate in Lake Georgia. This is one of the inspirations behind Lake George, Coat, and Red. She combined the most important things to her (her husband and nature) in this piece.
Current location
Over the years, several painters have created imitations of this masterpiece. However, none of them comes close to the original one. The original painting is currently located in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, USA. This is a befitting home because the painting and the painter are significant representations of modern art.
Similar works
Throughout her career, O'Keeffe created several other pieces featuring Lake George. In 1922, she created Lake George, and in 1926, he created The Red Maple at Lake George.
