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

An American collector purchased a small oil painting for $30 at a Michigan estate sale, only to later sell it at auction for $1.35 million. The painting, titled ‘Alderman Merriam’s Shells’, was created by American surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie.

The artwork had reportedly been out of the public eye for nearly 75 years. Abercrombie originally gave the piece to a doctor in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as payment for medical services, and it remained part of the doctor's estate until the recent sale.

While Freeman’s auction house initially valued the piece between $150,000 and $250,000, the final sale price set a record for Abercrombie. The painting was authenticated by an art historian and restored prior to the auction.