An extraordinary piece by the celebrated American artist Georgia O’Keeffe (1888-1986) is set to be the highlight of Bonhams’ 20th / 21st Century Art Evening Sale on November 20 in New York. Titled White Primrose, this painting is an exceptionally rare and delicate creation, completed the year following the death of O’Keeffe’s husband, Alfred Stieglitz, in 1946. Within O’Keeffe’s extensive repertoire of renowned flower paintings, only two feature the primrose flower, which is often interpreted as a symbol of mourning, sorrow, and remembrance. Making its auction debut and having remained in the same private collection for almost two decades, White Primrose is estimated to fetch between $4,000,000 and $6,000,000. Prior to the New York auction, this noteworthy painting will be exhibited at Bonhams’ salerooms in London and Hong Kong.
“This painting is a mesmerizing tour de force of color, line, and undulating form, and it is supremely elegant and delicate in its composition,” remarked Andrew Huber, Bonhams’ Head of Department for 20th / 21st Century Art in New York. “We are excited to offer this rare masterpiece by O’Keeffe in our November Evening Sale – marking the first time this work has ever been presented at auction.”
In the annals of art history, no other figure is more intimately connected to the portrayal of flowers than O’Keeffe. Her iconic flower paintings deftly merged realism with abstraction, resulting in deeply personal expressions rendered on canvas. The white primrose, or Primula vulgaris, is frequently associated with sadness and remembrance, its petals symbolizing the stages of life, encompassing birth, consummation, and ultimately, death. In White Primrose, the gentle undulation of the velvety petals creates a pulsating, dynamic effect that appears to transcend the physical limits of the canvas.
White Primrose is one of only two works created in 1947 while O’Keeffe was in New York handling Stieglitz’s estate following his unexpected death. The only other painting to feature the white primrose in O’Keeffe’s oeuvre is Spring, which is currently housed in the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. Both works are deeply infused with the distinctive style that O’Keeffe honed over the decades she spent in New Mexico. White Primrose evokes a sense of tranquility and peace, reflecting the liberation and serenity O’Keeffe found in her decision to permanently relocate to her cherished Abiquiú, New Mexico.
Bonhams’ 20th / 21st Century Art Evening Sale in New York will present an array of masterpieces, spanning from Impressionist to Contemporary art. Among the noteworthy pieces is Deux femmes tenant des fleurs, 1954, by Fernand Léger (1881-1955), estimated at $1,500,000 – $2,000,000. Léger’s body of work, not confined to any single stylistic allegiance, was driven by his fascination with the evolving conditions of modern life. Deux femmes tenant des fleurs echoes Léger’s earlier Cubist approach, despite his later works deviating from the fragmented planes of Cubism. Comparable works by Léger are held in prestigious institutions such as Tate Modern in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Additional early highlights to be featured in the sale include:
Gerhard Richter (B. 1932), Abstraktes Bild, 1995. Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,500,000.
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), Le Pont-Royal, temps gris lumineux, 1903. Estimate: $800,000 – $1,200,000.
The Bonhams’ auction promises to be an event of considerable significance, drawing attention from collectors and connoisseurs worldwide, as it showcases these remarkable works of art.
