|
Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches
CR No. 721
|
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce C. Gottwald
|
A white iris with a yellow center blooms across the canvas. Hints of pink, green, and yellow appear on the flower's soft petals.
CR No. 721
Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)
White Iris
Source of title: Whitney Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks, 1931 New York (An American Place) checklist.
Alternate Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)
Light Iris
Source of title: Downtown Gallery Archive.
General Remarks
Museum files indicate inscription from lost backing: "Light Iris – 1924?/O'Keeffe" (medium unknown, photocopy); "For Philadelphia Museum" (Alfred Stieglitz, medium unknown, photocopy); "Light Iris – 1924/by Georgia O'Keeffe" (Andrew Droth, An American Place2, medium unknown, photocopy). Whitney Archive indicates, "Painted 1930. Exam. at Amer. Place, March 1946." Abiquiú Notebooks notes first and third inscriptions indicated in museum file. Backing inscriptions date 1924 and 1924? Whitney Archive, Downtown Gallery Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks date 1930. Dated 1930 on basis of inclusion in 1931 New York (An American Place) exhibition; pictured in 1931 Stieglitz installation photograph, see Appendix III, figure 47. (Source: Lynes, 1999)
Technique
Oil Painting
Materials
Oil on canvas
2024–2025
San Diego Museum of Art (as O'Keeffe and Moore)
Albuquerque Museum (as O'Keeffe and Moore)
Musee Des Beaux-Arts Montreal (as O'Keeffe and Moore)
Museum of Fine Arts (MFA Boston) (as O'Keeffe and Moore)
2016–2017
Tate Modern (as Georgia O'Keeffe)
Kunstforum Wien (as Georgia O'Keeffe)
Art Gallery of Ontario (as Georgia O'Keeffe)
2018–2019
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (as The Beyond: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Art)
North Carolina Museum of Art (as The Beyond: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Art)
New Britain Museum of American Art (as The Beyond: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Art)
2021–2022
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (as Georgia O'Keeffe: The Painter's Lens)
Centre Georges Pompidou (as Georgia O'Keeffe: The Painter's Lens)
Fondation Beyeler (as Georgia O'Keeffe: The Painter's Lens)
1955
Doris Bry, New York; N.Y.;
Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, N.Y.;
Baron Henry Thyssen-Bornemesza, Lugano, Switzerland (1974);
Kennedy Galleries, New York, N.Y.;
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce C. Gottwald, Richmond, Va. (1977);
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, December 20, 1985 -present
(Source: Virginia Museum of Fine Art, 2026)
© Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Version History
Core fields last updated 5/5/2026
Last verified by current collection Mar 02 2026
Source System ID
8765
| 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 in 2026.
The painting is in good condition overall. The four membered stretcher is stucturally stable and offers adequate support for the canvas. The miters and keys have been covered in wax, rendering them immobile. The unlined canvas is securely attached to the stretcher, remains taut, but exhibits some planar deformations including; stretcher bar marks on all four sides and a shallow draw in the upper right corner (viewer's right). Canvas slubs are visible underneath the paint layer, they appear as small bulges. The ground and paint layers are secure, although fine cracks are visible in many areas. An old scratch/gouge is visible (under magnification) in the blue area above the center of the flower. The colors remain bright and the surface appears clean, save for a few very small accretions.
A backing board of corrugated, acid-free cardboard is fastened to the back of the stretcher. A Tycore insert is attached to the front of the board and set into the void of the stretcher to reduce vibration and to act as a buffer against changes in RH.
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).
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. White Iris, 1930. Access O’Keeffe, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, https://access-ok.okeeffemuseum.org/object/8765.