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Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Access O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe
Cup of Silver Ginger, 1939
Courtesy of Baltimore Museum of Art.
Image: okeeffe_CR969_cup-of-silver-ginger_869320.jpg
Georgia O'Keeffe
Cup of Silver Ginger, 1939
Oil on canvas, 19 x 16 inches
CR No. 969
Gift of Cary Ross, BMA 1940.122
Oil on canvas, 19 x 16 inches
Gift of Cary Ross, BMA 1940.122
CR No. 969

A flower with rippling white petals and a green center dominates the canvas. Prominent green stamens rise from its center. Dark green petals and pale orange, flower-like abstract forms frame the blossom. A bright blue background appears behind the flora.

CR No. 969

Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)

Cup of Silver Ginger

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

Alternate Title (1999 Catalogue Raisonné)

Cup of Silver (Hawaii)

Cup of Silver

General Remarks

Whitney Archive indicates, "Sold to Baltimore Museum." Abiquiú Notebooks indicates, "Gift of Cary Ross to Baltimore Museum." (Source: Lynes, 1999)

Inscriptions

Stretcher: "#4" (unidentified hand, graphite). Backing: 1. "21 New Paintings – / (Hawaii) / No. 7 Catalogue of / Exhibition Feb 3 – April 17 – 1940 / 'Cup of Silver' (Hawaii) / 1939 / Georgia O'Keeffe" (Alfred Stieglitz, black ink) 2. Label: handwritten, "An American Place' / 509 Madison Ave —Room 1710 / (S.E. corner 53rd St) — New York" (Source: Lynes, 1999)

Technique

Oil Painting

Materials

Oil on canvas

The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 1940; Cary Ross, New York, by purchase, 1939; from An American Place, New York (Source: BMA, 2025)

Credits & Rights

© Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

Administrative Information

Version History

Core fields last updated 4/22/2026

Last verified by current collection 2025

Source System ID

8922

Other IDs

969, Catalogue Raisonné

Conservation

Information is from the most recently submitted report, please contact the current owner to verify updated details.
REPORT NOTES

Information provided for Access O'Keeffe by Baltimore Museum of Art in 2025.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

The painting is executed on a medium-weight, twill weave canvas. The canvas is tensioned onto a commercial, four-member stretcher which is stamped in red: “ANCO Inc. / GLENDALE L.I” on the lower and proper left stretcher bars. The lower stretcher bar also bears a red stamped “16” with the ANCO stamp. “#4” is written in graphite on the upper and lower stretcher bars. An even, white priming layer continues to the trimmed edges of the canvas. Graphite is pulled into the paint at the perimeters of some forms, providing evidence of underdrawing. Paint is generally medium-bodied and applied wet-into-wet. This approach allows the paint to catch on the tops of the canvas weave, leading to small voids in which the white ground layer is visible. In other areas, the ground has been left visible as part of the composition. An overall varnish is not apparent; the surface is evenly matte. The painting is framed in its original silver gilt clamshell frame designed by George Of. The frame is heavily tarnished.

CONDITION NARRATIVE

The painting is in excellent condition. It has an age-appropriate network of fine cracking with a history of local consolidation prior to loans. Minor inpainting was undertaken to areas of abrasion and pinpoint loss.