|
Oil on board, 12 1/8 x 9 1/8 inches
CR No. 443
|
Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University. Gift of an anonymous donor, 2015.7
|
Two shining, bright red pears and a deep purple fig sit on a piece of dark blue fabric or paper. On the upper right and lower left corners of the composition are flashes of bright white visible behind the blue material.
CR No. 443
Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)
Red Pears, Green Background
Source of title: Whitney Archive, Downtown Gallery Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks.
Alternate Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)
Red Pears Green Background
Alternate Title
Still Life: Red Pears and Fig
Source of title: Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University.
General Remarks
Whitney Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks indicate, "Exam. at Amer. Place, March 1946. . . . No signature. [Note of 22 in backing inscription 2 and title in backing inscription 3.] Two red pears with fig." Abiquiú Notebooks notes inscription 1. Backing inscription 2 dates 1922? Whitney Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks date c. 1923. Downtown Gallery Archive dates 1923. Pictured in 1924 New York (Anderson) Stieglitz installation photograph, see Appendix III, figure 26. (Source: Lynes, 1999)
Lynes publication lists medium as 'Oil on board', the Cantor refines the medium description with 'Oil on composition board'. (Source: Information provided for Access O'Keeffe by the Cantor Center, 2025)
Inscriptions
Verso: inaccessible. Backing: 1. OK {circle} (graphite) 2. "22?" (graphite) 3. "Red Pears / Green Background / Georgia O'Keeffe" (Andrew Droth, graphite) (Source: Lynes, 1999)
Technique
Oil Painting
Materials
Oil on board
Collection of the artist; Doris Bry; John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco; Deborah and Joseph Goldyne; Private collection, San Francisco, CA; given to the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, 2015.
(Source: Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, 2025)
© Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Version History
Core fields last updated 3/30/2026
Last verified by current collection Sep 08 2025
Source System ID
8532
| Date | Field | Changed From | Changed To |
|---|---|---|---|
| mm/dd/yyyy | Artist | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Main title | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Year | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Media | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Credit line | Changed from data | Changed to data |
| mm/dd/yyyy | Provenance | Changed from data | Changed to data |
Conservation
Information is from the most recently submitted report, please contact the current owner to verify updated details.Information provided for Access O'Keeffe by Cantor Center in 2025. This report contains information from reports done in 2012 (Manganelli) and 2024 (O'Regan).
The medium is oil on composition board.
Under magnification, the paint appears secure and compressed. There are several minor scuffs and abrasions throughout the surface, tiny white accretions, and a slight dust layer. Overall, the painting remains in very good to excellent condition. It appears unvarnished.
In 2012, the work was removed from its frame and cleaned. In-painting of abraded areas of paint with watercolors and/or gum Arabic to achieve appropriate gloss.
In 2024, Qor Colors, and stable pigments in Aquazol were used to tone a 1/2 in thin horizontal scratch in the center of the composition.
Conservators: Susan Roberts Manganelli (2012), Trish O’Regan (2024)
Published with corresponding artwork entry in Georgia O’Keeffe: Catalogue Raisonné (Lynes, 1999), this historical conservation information documents treatment decisions made during the artist’s lifetime. Lynes quotes information found on backing labels, and, when noted, from other sources.
"This painting has been varnished" (Doris Bry typed label).
DOWNLOAD IMAGE
Terms of use
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is dedicated to fostering access to its collections to inspire education, research, and creative engagement. Through Access O'Keeffe, the Museum’s digital catalogue raisonné project, we provide free tools for engaging with Georgia O'Keeffe’s full body of work. As part of this initiative, we encourage the download of low-resolution images for educational and fair use purposes.
Certain works by Georgia O'Keeffe are under the copyright of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, while others are managed by different rights holders. For commercial uses, users must seek authorization directly from the respective copyright holder.
By downloading and using these images, users agree to the following terms and conditions of use including the Museum’s reproduction guidelines. Users will play a vital role in preserving the integrity of the artist’s work while supporting broader public access.
Permitted Uses
Fair Use:
Images may be used under fair use principles for purposes such as:
- Educational: Use in teaching materials, presentations, and coursework
- Research and scholarship: Academic research articles, theses, dissertations and noncommercial publications
- Creative projects: Reference or inspiration for personal artwork, such as sketches, paintings, or digital art, if the works are not sold or used commercially.
Conditions of Use
By downloading images of artwork from Access O'Keeffe, users agree to adhere to the Museum’s reproduction guidelines for artwork by Georgia O'Keeffe. Images must not be altered, manipulated, or modified in any way that compromises their integrity or misrepresents the original work. Specifically, artworks may not be cropped, distorted, or subjected to the following alterations:
- Cropping
- Rotation, inversion, or changes to the original proportions
- Color adjustments
- Superimposition of text, graphics, or other elements
- Animation, cartooning, or other forms of reinterpretation
- Removal or modification of blemishes, inscriptions, or other original features
- Printing artwork on 3D materials, including fabrics
Unauthorized Uses
Unauthorized uses of Georgia O'Keeffe’s works include any applications that fall outside the scope of fair use, such as those intended for commercial profit generating purposes.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Publications and merchandise that are sold or generate income.
- Reproductions in marketing materials, advertisements, or promotional campaigns.
- Use in exhibitions or displays that charge admission fees.
For any such uses, prior written authorization must be obtained from the appropriate copyright holder noted in Access O'Keeffe.
For any commercial use, prior written permission is required from the copyright holder. Please contact the Digital Experience and Rights Manager at [email protected]
ADD TO LIST
COPY CITATION
Georgia O'Keeffe. Red Pears, Green Background, 1923. Access O’Keeffe, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, https://access-ok.okeeffemuseum.org/object/8532.