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.