Gertrude Abercrombie painting sells for $1.35 million after $30 estate sale find

A painting by American surrealist artist Gertrude Abercrombie, titled ‘Alderman Merriam’s Shells’ (1951), sold for $1,352,600 at a Freeman’s auction in New York, setting a new record for the artist.

The artwork was originally purchased for just $30 at an estate sale in Michigan. An anonymous collector noticed a faint signature, ‘Abercrombie, ’51’, in the corner of the piece. The buyer later confirmed the painting's authenticity after discovering a 1952 Chicago Tribune press clipping in an exhibition catalog at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Art historian and Abercrombie scholar Susan Weininger authenticated the oil painting. The piece depicts seashells belonging to Robert Merriam, a former Chicago alderman. The sale significantly exceeded the pre-auction estimate of $150,000 to $250,000.