Which company commissioned Georgia O'Keeffe to paint flowers after she visited Hawaii in 1939?

The Hawaiian Pineapple Company commissioned Georgia O'Keeffe to paint flowers after her 1939 visit to Hawaii.

The company, now associated with the Dole brand, invited O'Keeffe to Hawaii to create images for an advertising campaign. She spent about nine weeks on the islands, traveling through locations including Maui and Hawaii Island and making paintings of tropical plants and landscapes.

O'Keeffe initially focused on flowers and other botanical subjects. The company wanted a pineapple image, but she did not paint one until the commission specifically required it. Her Hawaii paintings therefore combine a commercial assignment with her established interest in close observation and enlarged natural forms.

The commission is an important example of O'Keeffe working outside the gallery system. It also explains why some references identify the client as Dole, while historical accounts use the company’s 1939 name, Hawaiian Pineapple Company. The latter is the precise answer for the commission’s historical context.