Which company commissioned Georgia O’Keeffe to paint Hawaii in 1939?

The Hawaiian Pineapple Company commissioned Georgia O’Keeffe to paint Hawaii in 1939.

The company invited O’Keeffe to visit the islands and create images connected with its pineapple production and Hawaiian environment. She traveled to Hawaii in 1939 and produced paintings of tropical plants, flowers, and landscapes.

The commission broadened the geographic range of her work. Although O’Keeffe is especially associated with New Mexico, the Hawaii paintings show her responding to a very different climate, vegetation, and visual environment.

The company later became known as Dole Food Company, which can cause confusion when the commission is described using the modern corporate name. The historical name at the time of the commission was Hawaiian Pineapple Company.