Which O’Keeffe painting sold for $44.4 million at Sotheby’s in 2014?

Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 sold for $44.4 million at Sotheby’s in 2014. The sale made it, at that time, the most expensive work by a female artist sold at auction.

O’Keeffe painted the work in 1932. It shows a single white jimson weed blossom against a dark background, with the flower enlarged so dramatically that its trumpet-like structure fills the composition. The visual effect is both botanical and abstract.

The $44.4 million figure includes the buyer’s premium, which is standard in reported auction totals. The hammer price—the amount before the buyer’s premium—was lower, a distinction that can cause different figures to appear in auction coverage.

The record later changed as other works by women artists sold for higher sums. Even so, the auction remains a major milestone in the market history of O’Keeffe’s work and in the broader recognition of women artists.