Juan Hamilton, Confidant and Protégé of georgia O’Keeffe, Dies at 79

Juan Hamilton, an aspiring artist who ⁤became deeply intertwined with ⁤the ​life of ⁤painter Georgia O’Keeffe, died on Feb.⁤ 20 at his​ home in Santa‍ Fe, N.M.He was 79.

His death, resulting from ⁤complications of a subdural hematoma suffered ​several years prior, was confirmed by his wife, Anna Marie Hamilton.

A Unique Bond with Georgia O’Keeffe

For the last decade of O’keeffe’s life, Hamilton‌ was her closest companion. Their relationship began when ​he was 27, a recently⁤ divorced potter, and she was an ⁤85-year-old icon of modern art, increasingly blind but still fiercely autonomous.

O’keeffe,⁢ a‌ childless widow,‍ lived in rural New Mexico, receiving visits‌ from many seeking her blessing. ⁢Hamilton was ⁢one⁣ such visitor, but their connection would ‍ultimately determine the fate ⁢of⁢ her estate, estimated at ⁢$90 million, and her artistic legacy.

The Beginning at Ghost Ranch

Their story began on labor Day weekend in 1973. Hamilton, working as a handyman at Ghost Ranch, where O’Keeffe resided, approached her seeking odd jobs.

After ⁢initially being turned away, O’Keeffe called him back, asking, “Wait a minute. Can you help me pack a shipping crate?”

Hamilton ​later said⁢ he had traveled to‍ Ghost Ranch inspired by a “dream-fantasy” that he would find O’Keeffe,offer her a pot,and become ⁢a friend in need,leading to a significant change in both their lives.

Roles and⁢ Responsibilities

Initially⁣ performing menial chores, Hamilton gradually took on more personal tasks, including assisting with meals and correspondence.They shared evenings listening to Beethoven and traveled together to places like Antigua, ⁣Guatemala, morocco, and New York.

He also served as editor and curator, contributing ‌to books and exhibitions about ‌O’Keeffe and her⁤ late​ husband, Alfred​ Stieglitz. His work‌ received praise from ​figures like Joan Didion and Hilton Kramer.

With hamilton’s encouragement, O’Keeffe returned to watercolor and appeared in a 1977 documentary, described by⁤ The New York Times as “the ‌first time that the artist has agreed to a⁣ film portrait of herself and her work.”

The inspiration was mutual.Hamilton expanded‍ his artistic endeavors, sculpting ⁢abstract shapes in clay and bronze, mastering the reflection of light.

In ​a 1977 interview ​with ARTnews, O’Keeffe said of Hamilton, “I ​think there’s something in him that is like pure ‌crystal.”

The Times‍ highlighted their relationship in a 1979 article⁤ titled “The ​Older woman‐Younger Man Relationship: A ⁤Taboo ‌Fades.” Friends maintained their connection was affectionate, not sexual.

Hamilton told People magazine, “There is‍ prejudice against ​us because she is ​an older ⁣woman, and I’m young and somewhat⁣ handsome.”

As Hamilton became⁣ the gatekeeper⁣ to O’Keeffe, his sculptures gained recognition. Art ⁣critics Grace Glueck and John Russell praised his abstract bronzes.

His 1978 New York show ‍was attended by⁣ andy Warhol and Joni Mitchell,but also by a representative of O’Keeffe’s fired agent,Doris Bry,who served Hamilton with⁣ a lawsuit ⁤accusing him⁤ of “malicious interference.”

While that suit and others were settled, an unnamed friend told The Washington ⁤Post, “There was lots of jealousy, ⁢lots of ‘let’s get Juan.’”

In⁣ 1980, Hamilton ​married Anna Marie (Prohoroff) Erskine, and they had two sons, Albert and Brandon. As O’Keeffe’s health declined, the family moved in with her in Santa Fe. ⁤She died ⁤at 98 in 1986.

Controversy and Legal Battles

By the time of O’Keeffe’s death, Hamilton held power of attorney. A 1984 codicil to her ⁣will transferred​ significant assets, including artwork and property⁣ worth millions, from charitable institutions to Hamilton.

Relatives, including niece ‍June Sebring, accused Hamilton of‌ “undue influence,”⁢ leading⁢ to bitter ‍disputes.

O’Keeffe’s sister, Catherine Klenert, called Hamilton “nothing but a tramp” in a deposition. Roxana Robinson’s biography quoted relatives calling him a “gigolo,” suggesting ​the ⁢relationship was tainted ‍by “greed.”

However,the Washington Post noted in 1987 that “there is no question​ that it was Hamilton,not relatives,who cared for O’Keeffe in her final years,and that he also gave her life‌ joy and purpose.”

Critic Barbara Rose defended Hamilton in The Journal ⁣of ‍Art, writing, “Juan Hamilton was not⁣ Georgia O’Keeffe’s lover, he was the son she never had.”

Rose argued he was⁣ “the only person she ⁤totally trusted,” ‍willing to⁤ protect her artistic vision​ as she had done for Stieglitz.

Hamilton eventually reached a settlement with ‍the relatives,reverting to an earlier version of​ the will⁢ and granting them millions. He retained artworks and property, and a foundation was established to ​manage the estate.

Rose lamented that without Hamilton’s oversight, O’Keeffe’s paintings were being commercialized:⁢ “Everything O’Keeffe⁤ feared has come to pass.Her images have been cheapened; her life has turned into a soap opera.”

Early Life and Career

John​ Bruce ‍Hamilton was born on​ Dec. 22, 1945, in Dallas.​ Known as Juan, he ‌spent his childhood in Ecuador, Colombia,‍ and Venezuela, where ⁣his parents were Presbyterian missionaries. He studied studio ‍art at Hastings College and sculpture‌ at Claremont Graduate University.

Later Years

After the will​ was settled, Hamilton bought property in Honolulu and Maui. Despite losing status⁢ in the art world, he continued to sell his work and focused⁤ on landscaping ​his farm.

His wife said, “The whole ⁣story with Juan ‌was so ‌sensationalized, and ⁢it ⁢drove⁤ people to not take him seriously.‌ I think ⁤he ‌got ⁢more and more disillusioned.”

In 2020, he sold over 100 items from ⁣his collection​ through Sotheby’s, netting $17.2 million, according to ARTnews.

He is survived​ by his wife, sons, ‌sister Elizabeth Hildreth, and‍ two grandchildren.

He refused to sell a painting that inspired his ​sculptures, and also prints ​by Stieglitz and drawings by Brancusi that O’Keeffe had given him.

in his final​ days, ​Hamilton often requested his wife to bring‌ him the artworks he and O’Keeffe had⁤ cherished.