The oil-on-canvas work, titled *Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I*, was initially acquired from New York's Downtown Gallery in 1963 as a graduation present. Its owner, a former Foreign Service worker who lived to 98, packed it away in the 1980s under fur coats until her niece uncovered it in 2022. Remarkably preserved in its original packaging, the piece still retains its initial backing board bearing the artist's inscribed initials inside a star device. The artwork goes under the hammer at Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale with bidding starting November 18.
Key points
Christie’s estimates the rediscovered American landscape will achieve between $2 million…: Christie’s estimates the rediscovered American landscape will achieve between $2 million and $3 million at auction.
Prior to its rediscovery, the painting had not been shown publicly since a 1931 exhibitio…: Prior to its rediscovery, the painting had not been shown publicly since a 1931 exhibition at An American Place.
Revenue generated from the auction will be split between an educational institution and t…: Revenue generated from the auction will be split between an educational institution and the late owner's family.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A Georgia O’Keeffe painting acquired by a New York family for $3,800 in 1963 has resurfaced after spending nearly 40 years hidden beneath fur coats in an East Village apartment closet. The work, titled Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I, is now being offered by Christie’s in its 20th Century Evening Sale with an estimate of $2 million to $3 million, according to the auction house and reporting by the New York Post.
The discovery began in 2022, when Betsy, a 65-year-old woman from Rhode Island, was helping her elderly aunt prepare her Manhattan apartment for health aides. Her aunt casually mentioned that there was a Georgia O’Keeffe in the closet, a remark that eventually led to the recovery of a painting that had never been publicly displayed.
A graduation gift from Downtown Gallery
Christie’s records show that the painting was acquired by the family of the present owners from Downtown Gallery in New York on April 15, 1963. The purchase price was $3,800, and the work was given to the eventual owner as a graduation present by her mother. The…
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