by Redazione 08/11/2026
Categories: News / Disclaimer
A 1930 painting by Georgia O’Keeffe, believed to have been lost for decades, has resurfaced in a woman’s closet in the East Village. The painting will be offered at Christie’s in New York, with an estimate of approximately $3 million.
“By the way, there’s a Georgia O’Keeffe painting in the closet.” That single sentence—spoken almost in passing by a woman in her Manhattan apartment—was enough to bring to light a painting by the famous American artist that had remained hidden for decades. The painting is *Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I*, created in 1930 and found inside an old wooden box, behind a pile of coats. The work, which will be presented to the public for the first time in at least thirty years, will be auctioned by Christie’s in New York on November 17, during the evening auction dedicated to 20th-century art, with an estimate of approximately $3 million.
The painting will be one of the highlights of Marquee Week, organized by the auction house, which also features major private collections, including those of Clive Davis, Herbert Lust, and Antonio Homem. From November 7 to 17, all works up for sale will be on display free of charge at Christie’s at 20 Rockefeller Center, offering the public the opportunity to admire O’Keeffe’s rediscovered landscape as well.
The Rediscovery
The rediscovery of Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting took place earlier this year, when the painting’s owner invited her granddaughter to her apartmentin the East Village to help her sort through personal belongings and settle some matters. The woman, described by family members as extremely reserved, cultured, independent, and exceptionally talented, had led a full life: she had studied at prestigious academic institutions, traveled extensively as a diplomat, and learned at least four languages. She was also an international-level bridge player.
The niece was aware of her aunt’s passion for collecting, but she had no idea that among the works in her possession was a painting by one of the most important American artists of the 20th century. Following her instructions, she searched the closet in the entryway and found an old wooden box hidden behind several coats. Inside was *Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I*, a painting measuring 25 by 60 centimeters, signed with the initials “OK” on the back of the original panel.
The work had been a gift she received upon earning her master’s degree in the 1960s. It had been purchased by the owner’s mother, who on April 15, 1963, had spent $3,800 at the Downtown Gallery in Manhattan, O’Keeffe’s historic gallery located on 51st Street.
After receiving it, the woman displayed the painting in her apartment until the mid-1980s. Later, during a game of bridge, she noticed that a guest was looking at it with excessive attention. The incident unnerved her so much that she decided to pack the painting back into the gallery’s original box and hide it in the closet. From that moment on, the painting remained out of sight, with the rest of the family unaware of its existence.
Its existence was known to scholars only through a photograph taken in 1931 and a reference in the appendix of the artist’s catalog raisonné. Following its recent rediscovery, the granddaughter sent several photographs to Christie’s, prompting experts to begin their verification process. The owner passed away shortly after revealing the secret.
The Work
Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I is a particularly significant early work in Georgia O’Keeffe’s oeuvre and likely the first in a series of three paintings dedicated to Lobo Peak, a mountain in New Mexico located north of Taos Pueblo. The second version is now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, while the third belongs to a private collection and was formerly part of the collection of David and Peggy Rockefeller.
The painting was created in 1930, one year after the artist’s first trip to the region in 1929. O’Keeffe was deeply impressed by the landscape of the American Southwest, its spiritual atmosphere, its boundless horizons, and the unique quality of its light. New Mexico thus became one of the central subjects of her artistic exploration, a theme that would recur in numerous works throughout her career. Through sinuous forms, earthy tones, and a rich painterly texture, the artist transformed hills, mountains, and desert expanses into compositions with a strong abstract element. She interpreted the landscape through its essential forms, luminous contrasts, and infinite chromatic variations, offering a vision profoundly different from that of frenetic New York.
Lobo Peak itself held a special fascination for O’Keeffe. In a letter to her husband, the photographer and gallery owner Alfred Stieglitz, the artist wrote: “This is Lobo Mountain… I would like to paint this mountain; I would like to do so every year, but it is absolutely impossible.”
Nearly a century after its creation, *Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I* has resurfaced, adding a new chapter to the story of Georgia O’Keeffe and offering scholars and the public the opportunity to rediscover a landscape once believed to be lost.
“This is a wonderful painting, an extraordinary story, and an exceptional opportunity for both collectors and the general public,” said Tylee Abbott, Senior Specialist and International Director of American Art at Christie’s. “Rediscoveries are rare in the established market for historic American artists, who are widely studied and highly regarded. Bringing to light a seminal work—one that exemplifies this 20th-century master’s deep personal connection to the landscape, a cornerstone of her career, exquisitely executed, and well-preserved—is a once-in-a-lifetime and truly thrilling opportunity.”
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| A Georgia O’Keeffe painting that had been hidden away for decades has been rediscovered: it was in a woman’s closet in New York |
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