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Sometimes such priceless heirlooms are hidden among old things that are considered junk, which can change someone’s destiny overnight. One such surprising case has come to light from Michigan, America, where an old dusty painting purchased for just $30 (about Rs 2500 in Indian currency) in a general estate sale has created a stir in the global art market. When this rare artwork of 1951, which was hidden from the public eye for about 70 to 75 years, reached the international auction stage, it broke the estimates and set a new world record by being sold for 1.35 million dollars i.e. about Rs 13 crore.
This priceless painting was created by the famous Chicago Surrealist painter Gertrude Abercrombie in the year 1951. The title of this painting is ‘Alderman Merriam’s Shells’. According to art historians, Abercrombie’s style was usually based on his inner thoughts, symbols and dream world, but this painting is one of the rarest works of his career because he put it on canvas after directly observing the sea shells of Robert Merriam, then Alderman of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. It is said that around 1952, the painter had given this painting to a doctor as a fee in exchange for one of his medical treatments, after which it completely disappeared from the art world and remained anonymous for decades.
A wannabe treasure hunter and vintage buyer living in Michigan spotted this painting in the closing moments of a local estate sale. At that time, no one present there or the organizer had any idea that this simple looking painting hanging on the wall could be worth crores. The buyer paid only $30 and brought it to his home. After this, when they matched the style of the artwork, the conch symbols and fine signatures on it, they suspected it to be the work of a great artist. She immediately contacted Dr. Susan Weininger, a leading expert on Gertrude Abercrombie’s art. After extensive examination by experts, pigment analysis and matching with historical documents, it was officially certified as Abercrombie’s original work, lost since 1951.
As soon as the authenticity of the painting was proven, the prestigious New York auction house Freeman’s Auction included it in its Post-War and Contemporary Art auction catalogue. Initially, auction experts had estimated it to be sold for 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh dollars (about Rs 2 crore). But as soon as the bidding started, there was a race among the world’s leading art lovers, private collectors and big museums to buy it. Within minutes the bids skyrocketed and eventually the hammer fell at a record price of $1,352,600 (approximately Rs 13 crore). This historic sale not only wowed the buyer, but also set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a painting in Gertrude Abercrombie’s career.
The past few years have seen great interest in the works of mid-century female Surrealist painters in international art galleries and art markets in Miami, London and New York. Gertrude Abercrombie, who left the world in 1977, did not get the recognition she deserved during her lifetime. She was also called the ‘Bohemian Queen’ and ‘Jazz Artist’ because her home hosted concerts of legendary musicians like Billie Holiday. Since 2018, when major galleries held his solo exhibitions, the value of his works increased manifold. The discovery of this $30 painting is being counted among the biggest and shocking rediscoveries in the history of modern art.