Georgia O’Keeffe painting discovered in New York closet goes to auction
The 1930 landscape painting was found hidden under fur coats by the owner's niece and is expected to fetch up to $3 million.
A painting by American artist Georgia O’Keeffe was discovered under a row of fur coats in a New York apartment closet after being hidden for nearly 40 years. According to the Hindustan Times, the artwork, titled Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I (1930), is scheduled for sale at Christie’s in New York on November 17.
The piece belonged to an elderly woman in the East Village. Her niece, Betsy, found the painting while assisting her aunt with preparations for hospice care. The owner had previously mentioned the existence of the artwork to home health aides in 2022.
The painting was a graduation gift from the owner's mother in the 1960s, purchased from the Downtown Gallery in 1963 for $3,800. It was placed in storage during the 1980s because the owner feared a visitor was showing excessive interest in the work.
The 1930 landscape depicts Lobo Peak in New Mexico. Christie’s believes it is the first of three paintings the artist created of the mountain. One version is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, while a third sold for $8.41 million in 2018.
The artwork is expected to sell for between $2 million and $3 million. The painting will be on display at the auction house from November 7 before the 20th Century Evening Sale. Part of the proceeds will go to family expenses and an educational institution, according to The New York Post.