Art History: $3M Georgia O'Keeffe Found in Closet
A 65-year-old woman uncovered a painting bought in 1963 that had been hidden under fur coats for four decades.
By Nia Foster ·
A Georgia O'Keeffe painting estimated at $3 million sat in a closet in Manhattan's East Village for nearly 40 years before a niece found it. The artwork, titled "Near Abiquiu, New Mexico," was hidden under a row of fur coats in an apartment belonging to the woman's late aunt. Experts confirmed the piece had never been seen by the public until now.
Betsy, 65, made the discovery while helping her aunt clean out the apartment. The aunt, a former Foreign Service worker who died at age 98, had received the painting as a graduation gift from her mother in the 1960s. The family requested anonymity, and Betsy asked to be identified only by her middle name.
The chain of ownership dates to April 15, 1963. At that time, the aunt's mother purchased the 10-by-24-inch landscape for $3,800 at The Downtown Gallery on 51st Street. The gallery served as O'Keeffe's dealer in Manhattan. The painting hung in the family home until the 1980s.
According to Betsy, her aunt stored the piece in a closet after a guest looked at it too closely. "I think she was fully aware of its value … she recognized that it was an expression of her financial position," Betsy said. The aunt was described as extremely private and disliked drawing attention to herself.
The painting remained in its original box until a few weeks ago. Betsy pulled it from the entryway closet while preparing her aunt for hospice care. The box still bore its original gallery sticker. On the back of the canvas, O'Keeffe’s signature appears in a star-shaped design. Betsy also noted apparent scrawling on the box from Alfred Stieglitz, the artist's husband and a renowned photographer.
The work depicts rolling hills in New Mexico using O'Keeffe’s softened, abstract style. Betsy said the painting is approachable and evocative of the female form. "The men in the family who’ve seen this have commented, there seems to be a number of 'vaginas' in the picture," she said.
Christie's auction house will sell the painting on November 17. The public can view the piece for free at 20 Rockefeller Center from November 7 to 17. Tylee Abbott, senior specialist and head of American Art at Christie's, called the rediscovery a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Part of the proceeds will go to an educational institution, while the rest will be distributed to Betsy and other relatives.
The painting's existence was previously known only through a photograph taken in 1931. Betsy said the family plans to use their share of the proceeds for expenses such as paying off a mortgage. The aunt, who never married and had no children, was a world-ranked bridge master and fluent in at least four languages.
