Which company commissioned Georgia O'Keeffe's 1939 series of paintings inspired by Hawaii?

The story behind the answer

The Hawaiian Pineapple Company commissioned Georgia O'Keeffe's 1939 Hawaii paintings.

The company, now associated with the Dole brand, invited O'Keeffe to Hawaii to create images that could be used in advertising. She traveled there in 1939 and spent about nine weeks visiting locations on the islands of Maui, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi.

O'Keeffe painted tropical flowers, plants, landscapes, and other subjects during the trip. The commission did not simply produce generic commercial illustrations; it resulted in a substantial body of paintings reflecting her close observation of unfamiliar natural forms.

The Hawaiian Pineapple Company later asked her to paint a pineapple. She initially painted a pineapple plant from a specimen sent to her in New Mexico, then received a fresh fruit and painted it as well.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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