A Michigan estate sale shopper bought a slate-gray painting featuring scattered seashells for $30 in July. The buyer noticed the signature 'Abercrombie, ’51,' indicating it was created by Gertrude Abercrombie in 1951. After verification from experts, including art historian Susan Weininger, the painting was confirmed to be an original work and is set for auction at Freeman’s Auction House on October 1, with an estimated value of $150,000 to $250,000. The painting, titled Alderman Merriam’s Shells, depicts shells that once belonged to Chicago alderman Robert Merriam, a close associate of Abercrombie's.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
An art lover bagged an interesting seashell painting at a Michigan estate sale only to discover that the antique artwork was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
asserted
artwork → bag → dollars
The avid collector, who is remaining anonymous, found the slate-gray painting featuring scattered shells lying in a hallway for $30 in July.
asserted
who → remain → July
The art fanatic immediately knew it was something special after spotting ‘Abercrombie, ’51,’ in the lower-left corner, indicating that it could be the work of late American surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie.
uncertain
it → know → Abercrombie
Intrigued by their new possession, the lucky shopper met with experts to verify whether the timeless art piece was authentic, Smithsonian Magazine reported.
asserted
Magazine → intrigue → experts
The long-lost painting was legit and will be auctioned in New York on Thursday, with the buyer estimated to fetch between $150,000 to $250,000.
asserted
buyer → lose → 250,000
Titled Alderman Merriam’s Shells, the art piece was painted by the legendary artist in 1951.
asserted
piece → title → 1951
The artwork features various seashells that belonged to Robert Merriam, an alderman on the Chicago City Council from 1947 to 1955.
asserted
that → feature → 1955
The alderman represented Hyde Park, the area where Abercrombie lived and painted.
asserted
Abercrombie → represent → Park
The new owner, who was on vacation with his family when he found the piece, took it to the Milwaukee Art Museum where there happened to be a nationally touring retrospective on the artist's work: 'Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World Is a Mystery'.
asserted
World → find → work
The art collector spotted the painting at a a Michigan estate sale in July.
asserted
collector → spot → July
The painting was lying in a hallway leading to a garage
asserted
painting → lie → garage
The buyer saw a signature in the lower-left corner of the artwork which read: 'Abercrombie '51.'
asserted
which → see → Abercrombie
They paid $30 for the painting and later met with art historian to verify if the painting was an original
Abercrombie gave the artwork to John Reynolds, a doctor in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in exchange for a medical procedure.
asserted
Abercrombie → pay → procedure
It remained in his family for 75 years before it was put up for the estate sale in July
asserted
it → remain → July
Skimming through the exhibition catalog, the collector found an archival photo of the 8-by-11-inch painting that had been featured in a Chicago Tribune review of Abercrombie's 1952 exhibition.
asserted
that → skim → exhibition
They contacted Susan Weininger, an art historian at Roosevelt University, to take a look at the painting.
asserted
They → contact → painting
After she confirmed that it was indeed an original, the painting was consigned to Freeman’s Auction, the Milwaukee exhibition sponsor.
asserted
painting → confirm → Auction
The auction house is selling the piece at its Upper East Side location in its Post-War & Contemporary Art auction on October 1.
asserted
house → sell → October
‘This was painted during her most productive period, a moment when realism was just as important to Gertrude as the magical,’ Zack Wirsum, senior vice president at Freeman’s, told Artnet.
asserted
Wirsum → paint → Artnet
It’s mesmerizingly mysterious, as with all her finest paintings,’ Wirsum added.
asserted
Wirsum → ’ → paintings
In an online statement, Wirsum recalled that just a few weeks ago he had told visitors on an exhibition tour that Abercrombie paintings occasionally still surface at estate sales.
asserted
paintings → recall → sales
‘Little did I know that one of those "once in a while's" would occur less than a month later,’ Wirsum added.
asserted
Wirsum → know → 's
‘We could not be more thrilled to now steward this magnificent rediscovery to the next chapter of its fascinating story.’
uncertain
We → steward → story
Her interest in shells, as seen in this painting, was likely inspired by her good friend John Wilde, a Wisconsin native who also was a figurative artist with a surreal bent, Freeman Auctions reported.
asserted
Auctions → see → bent
The painting by American surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie featured shells of different manner, painted over a slate-gray and black background
The owner of the painting will now be getting up to $250,000 as the artwork will go live for auction on October 1
The artist passed away in 1977 but her work has been getting a lot of attention recently.
asserted
work → feature → attention
Thomas Busciglio-Ritter, curator of American art at the Milwaukee Art Museum said it is because people are attracted to the 'weirdness' of her art
Abercrombie worked assiduously, mostly because of concerns over money.
asserted
Abercrombie → say → money
She died in 1977 at 68, but her work has been enjoying a new wave of attention in recent years.
asserted
work → die → years
'I think people are especially attracted to the weirdness of her art, and just how personal and out there it was,' Thomas Busciglio-Ritter, curator of American art at the Milwaukee Art Museum, told Smithsonian Magazine.
asserted
Ritter → think → Magazine
Alderman Merriam’s Shells was showcased in many of the artist's exhibitions between 1952 and 1953.
asserted
Shells → showcase → 1952
Often priced at $50 to $150, the artwork was shown in Chicago, New York and Milwaukee.
asserted
artwork → price → Chicago
The artist presented the piece to John Reynolds, a doctor in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in exchange for a medical procedure.
asserted
artist → present → procedure
It remained in Reynolds’ family for 75 years before it was put up for the estate sale in July this year.
asserted
it → remain → July
The Aporia
