A $50 painting, found in ‘dark corner’ of estate sale, fetches NZ$2.4m at auction
A painting purchased for $30 at an estate sale was identified as a rare work by surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie and subsequently sold for NZ$2.4 million. The buyer discovered the piece in a dark corner of a home, unaware of its significant provenance.
Why it matters
This story highlights the unpredictable nature of the art market and the potential for significant financial windfalls from overlooked historical artifacts.
An expert identified the piece as Gertrude Abercrombie’s Alderman Merriam’s Shells, which had been unseen in public for almost 75 years.
Oscar Holland for CNN 6 October 2026 5 min read Caption: Gertrude Abercrombie's 1951 painting 'Alderman Merriam’s Shells'. Photo credit: Freeman’s An enigmatic oil painting bought for just US$30 (about NZ$55) at an estate sale fetched more than $1.35 million (NZ$2.4 million) at auction after it was confirmed to be the work of celebrated surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie.
The 8-by-11-inch still-life was discovered in a “dark corner” of a Michigan home in July, according to Freeman’s, the auction house that brought the painting to market this month. An expert has identified it as Abercrombie’s Alderman Merriam’s Shells , which had been unseen in public for almost 75 years.
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