The Flag (O'Keeffe painting)

The Flag is a watercolor painting executed in 1918 by Georgia O'Keeffe that represents her anxiety about her brother being sent to fight in Europe during World War I.

I should think going to war would be a great relief from this everlasting reading about it—thinking about it—hearing talk about it—whether one believed in it or not—it is a state that exists and experiencing it in reality seems preferable to the way we are all being soaked with it second hand—it is everywhere… it's all like a bad dream.

While she understood why it was important militarily, she, like many Americans who initially opposed U.S. involvement, found it at odds with humanism and basic Christian beliefs.

[4] O'Keeffe's brother, Alexius[5] or Alexis, was stationed in a military camp in Texas before he shipped out for Europe during World War I.

[3] O'Keeffe became quite ill from influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic, which had killed an estimated 20 million people worldwide, and took a leave of absence from her teaching position at the West Texas State Normal College in early 1918 to recuperate at a friend's ranch in San Antonio,[5] where she painted The Flag.