Gertrude Abercrombie painting found at estate sale heads to auction

A painting purchased for $30 at a Michigan estate sale in July has been identified as an authentic work by American surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie. The small, 8-by-11-inch artwork, titled ‘Alderman Merriam’s Shells’ (1951), is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $250,000 at an upcoming auction.

The anonymous collector discovered the piece in a hallway and was drawn to a signature in the corner. The connection to Abercrombie was further solidified during a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum, where the collector found an archival photograph of the painting in an exhibition catalogue for a touring retrospective titled ‘Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World Is a Mystery.’

Art historian Susan Weininger of Roosevelt University provided final authentication of the work. The painting has been consigned to Freeman’s and is scheduled to be sold in New York on October 1.