How Much Is Red Canna Worth?

Red Canna is part of Georgia O’Keeffe’s seminal flower series, a body of work central to her critical reputation and to 20th‑century American modernism. While CR513 is not the unique iconography of Jimson Weed, the subject is artistically important and widely collected; examples from the series have formed the backbone of major exhibitions and scholarship. The painting’s inclusion in the catalogue raisonné (CR513) and long museum ownership both increase curatorial interest and the work’s scholarly standing, which in turn supports stronger market demand and higher realized prices for comparable canvases. For these reasons art‑historical significance is a major positive driver of value.

Condition is a primary determinant of value for O’Keeffe florals. The University of Arizona record notes the work is an oil on canvas mounted on Masonite—an aspect that raises specific conservation considerations (adhesion, panel movement, past relining or inpainting). Any structural intervention, significant restoration, or active deterioration will materially reduce buyer confidence and realized price; conversely, documented, stable conservation and recent conservation treatment will preserve or enhance value. A professional condition report is therefore essential before insurance, sale, or reserve decisions can be finalized.

Provenance and exhibition/publication history strongly influence buyer willingness to pay a premium. CR513’s long tenure in the University of Arizona Museum of Art (gift of Oliver B. James, accession 1950) provides institutional provenance that is attractive to bidders when well documented. Loan history to major exhibitions, inclusion in authoritative monographs or catalogue entries, and illustrated reproduction in scholarship materially increase marketability. Gaps or ambiguities in provenance, or lack of exhibition citation, will suppress value; strong documentation will push the painting toward the top of the estimated range.

At approximately 35 3/4 x 29 3/4 in, CR513 sits in the mid‑to‑large category for O’Keeffe florals. Size is a consistent price driver: the largest and most dramatic florals typically command the highest multiples, while small board studies trade in lower bands. The support (canvas mounted on Masonite) and the painting’s scale will therefore place it above small studies but typically below the marquee oversized works that hit the highest market ceiling. Size and medium together create a reliably positive, but not dominant, price influence.

Market liquidity for top O’Keeffes is strong but concentrated among a modest set of institutional and private buyers. Museum ownership improves provenance but reduces immediate liquidity: deaccession is uncommon and often attracts institutional restrictions. When museum works do come to market, they can attract intense competition from major private collectors and institutions, producing premium outcomes; however, the scarcity of similar market offerings means results are event‑driven and can vary. Institutional ownership is therefore a double‑edged factor—supportive of value but reducing the probability (and timing) of a sale.