Which Georgia O’Keeffe painting became the most expensive artwork by a female artist at auction in 2014?

Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 became the most expensive artwork by a female artist sold at auction in 2014.

The 1932 painting shows a large white jimson weed flower against a dark background. Its close-up composition magnifies a single bloom, a hallmark of O’Keeffe’s flower paintings. The work sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $44.4 million, including the buyer’s premium.

The record was notable because O’Keeffe’s flower paintings had often been discussed mainly through questions about symbolism. O’Keeffe repeatedly rejected the idea that her flowers should be read only as disguised references to human anatomy, emphasizing instead that viewers should look closely at the flowers themselves.

The auction record later changed hands as other works by women artists sold for higher prices. Nevertheless, the sale remains a major milestone in the market history of O’Keeffe’s art and in the broader recognition of women artists at auction.