Discovered in an attic amidst a jumbled stack of frames, a rare Martin Johnson Heade oil was brought to the market this past Saturday, August 28, by Kaja Veilleux of Thomaston Place Auction Galleries.

The South American sunset scene with palm trees and two herons on the rocks measured 61/2 by 133/4 inches and was executed on paper mounted on board. Bidding on the lot opened at $25,000 with three phone bidders and several in the gallery getting in on the action. As the piece passed the $50,000 mark, bidders narrowed to two in the gallery.

The action was quick paced with Veilleux commenting that the bids came, “Bang, bang, bang.” A final price of $214,500 was realized for the Heade. A complete review of the auction will appear in a future issue.