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3 clusters · 14 sources · 14 days · First seen · Last updated

Gertrude Abercrombie painting sells for $1.35 million

Overview

The painting ‘Alderman Merriam’s Shells’ (1951), originally purchased for $30 at a Michigan estate sale, has sold at auction in Manhattan for $1.35 million.

Identified as an authentic work by American surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie, the 8-by-11-inch still-life depicts ten seashells and had remained unseen in public for nearly 75 years. The discovery occurred when an anonymous collector of mid-century items noticed a barely visible signature, ‘Abercrombie, ’51’, while browsing a hallway during a July estate sale.

Authentication followed the collector’s identification of the work via a 1952 news clipping found in a Milwaukee Art Museum exhibition catalogue. The piece was further authenticated by art history professor Susan Weininger. Provenance research indicates the painting was originally gifted by Abercrombie to a doctor in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in exchange for medical services, before being passed through the doctor’s estate. The piece was sold by Freeman’s auction house, far exceeding its initial estimated value of $150,000 to $250,000.

Entities

Gertrude Abercrombie · Susan Weininger · Milwaukee Art Museum · Roosevelt University · Michigan

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 7 sources
    Gertrude Abercrombie painting sells for $1.35 million after $30 estate sale find

    A Gertrude Abercrombie surrealist painting, bought for $30 at a Michigan estate sale, sold for over $1.35 million at a New York auction after being identified as a lost 1951 masterpiece.

  2. [CULTURE] 2 sources
    Gertrude Abercrombie painting found at estate sale heads to auction

    A $30 estate sale find in Michigan, a 1951 painting by Gertrude Abercrombie, is estimated to sell for up to $250,000 at a New York auction.

  3. [CULTURE] 5 sources
    Gertrude Abercrombie painting bought for $30 headed to auction

    A $30 painting found at a Michigan estate sale has been authenticated as a lost Gertrude Abercrombie work and is expected to sell for up to $250,000 at auction in New York.

Sources

abc17news.com · chicago.suntimes.com · demagog.cz · elledecor.com · gazetedamga.com.tr · haberaktuel.com · keyt.com · kion546.com · korkusuz.com.tr · localnews8.com · sondakika.com · tdpelmedia.com · thegardenmagazine.com · topalbaniaradio.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history