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Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Access O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe
Red Hill and White Shell, 1938
Courtesy of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Image: okeeffe_CR946_red-hill-and-white-shell_869930.jpg
Georgia O'Keeffe
Red Hill and White Shell, 1938
Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 1/2 inches
CR No. 946
Gift of Isabel B. Wilson in memory of her mother, Alice Pratt Brown, 91.2027
Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 1/2 inches
Gift of Isabel B. Wilson in memory of her mother, Alice Pratt Brown, 91.2027
CR No. 946

An enlarged white spiral shell occupies the center of the frame. A bright red landscape with rolling hills and a red and yellow striped sky fills the frame behind the shell.

CR No. 946

Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)

Red Hill and White Shell

Source of title: Whitney Archive, Downtown Gallery Archive, Abiquiú Notebooks.

Alternate Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)

White Shell & Red Hills – New Mexico

Source of title: Abiquiú Notebooks.

White Shell and Red Hills, New Mexico

Source of title: Abiquiú Notebooks.

White Shell and Red Hills – New Mexico

Source of title: Abiquiú Notebooks.

Selected Exhibition Titles

Red Hills and White Shell
O'Keeffe and Texas, 1998, McNay Art Museum (San Antonio)

General Remarks

Double entries Abiquiú Notebooks. Whitney Archive indicates, "Note: O'Keeffe told me this ptg. was in the Art Inst. exh. Did not see the picture so couldn't identify by Art. Inst. label." Abiquiú Notebooks notes inscription 1. (Source: Lynes, 1999)

In correspondence from Doris Bry to Alice Pratt Brown, November 9, 1972, Bry states “When I go to Abiquiu next week I will ask Miss O’Keeffe to sign a photograph of the painting as authentication for you” (MFAH object files). MFAH memorandum from Charles J. Carroll, Registrar to Lorraine Stuart, Museum Archivist, October 18, 1995: “Enclosed for deposit in the Archives Artist Correspondence is an original letter from Georgia O’Keeffe, signed, to Mrs. George R. Brown (mother of the donor of this painting), dated November 17, 1972, verifying the authorship of this painting. Also enclosed is the black and white photograph that accompanied this letter. The photograph is also signed on the back by the artist. Per my conversation with Isabel Wilson yesterday, this was done at the time at her mother’s request because the painting itself is not signed” (MFAH object files). Correspondence from Georgia O’Keeffe to Mrs. George R. (Alice Pratt) Brown, November 17, 1972: “Dear Mrs. Brown: This will confirm that the painting RED HILL AND WHITE SHELL, 1938, oil on canvas, 30 x 36”, of which I enclose a signed photograph, is painted by me. Sincerely [signed] Georgia O’Keeffe” (copy of letter in MFAH object files). (Source: MFAH, 2025)

Inscriptions

Stretcher: inaccessible. Verso: inaccessible. Backing: 1. "White Shell & Red Hills – New Mexico / 1938 / by Georgia O'Keeffe" (Alfred Stieglitz, Label: handwritten, "An American Place' / 509 Madison Ave —Room 1710 / (S.E. corner 53rd St) — New York", black ink) 2. Stamp: "Georgia O'Keeffe / An American Place / Room 1710— 509 Madison Ave. / New York — N.Y." 3. "Georgia O'Keeffe / White Shell and Red / Hills, New Mexico / Geo. F. Of / 59 West 56 St / New York, N.Y." (Andrew Droth, Cleveland label, black ink) 4. "screw eye here" (Andrew Droth, graphite) [twice] (Source: Lynes, 1999)

Technique

Oil Painting

Materials

Oil on canvas

Doris Bry, New York, until 1972; sold to Mrs. George R. Brown (née Alice Pratt), Houston, 1972–1982; given to Isabel B. Wilson, 1982–1991; given to MFAH, 1991.(Source: MFAH, 2025)

Credits & Rights

© Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

Administrative Information

Version History

Core fields last updated 3/30/2026

Last verified by current collection 2025

Source System ID

8903

Other IDs

946, Catalogue Raisonné