2 publishers · first seen Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:00 UTC · updated Sat, 07 Nov 2026 19:40 UTC
A Georgia O'Keeffe painting, Near Abiquiu, New Mexico I, acquired in 1963 for $3,800, was recently discovered hidden in an East Village apartment closet. The painting, which had not been publicly displayed for nearly 40 years, is now being auctioned by Christie's with an estimate of $2 million to $3 million. The painting was found by Betsy, a 65-year-old woman from Rhode Island, who was helping her aunt prepare her Manhattan apartment for health aides. The painting was given to Betsy's aunt as a graduation gift in 1963 and was stored away in the 1980s after a guest showed too much interest in it.
The painting, an oil on canvas measuring 10 by 24 inches, was painted in 1930 and captures the undulating hills of New Mexico in O'Keeffe's abstract style. Christie's describes it as a seminal work representing the artist's connection to the southwestern landscape. The auction house plans to display the painting during a public exhibition before the sale, which starts on November 18.
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