THOMASTON, MAINE — An enigmatic interior scene featuring a leaf and recamier by Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977) led Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ third day of Winter Enchantment sales, February 24-26. Finishing at an above high estimate $51,250, including buyer’s premium, the oil on Masonite was signed lower left and dated ‘56. The matchbook depicted pinned to the wall and inscribed “KP” is possibly a nod to Abercombie’s friend and fellow artist Karl Priebe (1914-1976). Housed in a black and gold rosette corner frame, the scene measured 9½ by 7½ inches. Abercrombie was based in Chicago and was inspired by the European Surrealism movement. She was acclaimed for her complex self-portraits and enigmatic paintings of stark interiors and illusory landscapes. She was called “the queen of the bohemian artists,” involved in the Chicago jazz scene and friends with musicians, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughan, whose music inspired her own creative work. Watch for a more extensive review of this sale in an upcoming issue.