Did You Know Georgia O'Keeffe Also Made Pottery?
A pioneer of American Modernism, Georgia O'Keeffe is best known for her paintings of abstract flowers, colorful southwestern landscapes, and animal skulls in the desert. But next month, Sotheby’s will be selling a genre of art for which O’Keeffe is less known: her pottery, which she created later in her life. The pieces are part of an auction called "Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O’Keeffe, Juan Hamilton: Passage," which showcases more than 100 works from the collection of ceramicist Juan Hamilton, who was a friend and confidante of O’Keeffe and her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz.
With the help of Hamilton, O’Keeffe took up ceramics when she was 87 years old, according to Sotheby’s Magazine. Hamilton taught her how to use the pottery wheel as she was beginning to lose her eyesight. “When seeing became more difficult it was the medium she picked up for artistic expression,” head of Sotheby’s American Art Kayla Carlsen told Sotheby’s Magazine. “It was a process that she found engaging and enjoyed, and she was prolific. There is a large body of work produced circa 1980 with Juan’s inspiration and assistance.”
O’Keeffe left Hamilton a good amount of her art collection and personal belongings, some of which he donated to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Now, the rarely seen pottery, paintings, and drawings from Hamilton's collection will be for sale as part of Sotheby's auction. Six minimalist clay pots of varying in texture, shape, and color range in estimates from $7,000 to $15,000. There’s also a spiral white-lacquered bronze piece estimated starting at $200,000. Among O’Keefe’s notable personal items for sale are her silver “OK” initial broach and her marriage certificate to Alfred Stieglitz, whose work is also included in the auction.
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