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New England Art Discovery: Rare 17th Century Portrait Fetches $1.4Million at Thomaston Place Auction

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Published
09/08/2024 by

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, led by founder, appraiser, and auctioneer Kaja Veilleux, made history when a 17th-century portrait after Rembrandt was discovered during a routine house call at a private estate in Camden, Maine. For over 40 years, Veilleux has been a leading figure in the New England fine art scene.

Known for his weekly house calls to estates and private homes, Veilleux has built a reputation as the region's premier appraiser. Recently, what seemed like a routine house call visit to a private estate in Camden, Maine, turned into an extraordinary discovery. In the attic of the home, Veilleux uncovered a 17th-century portrait of a young girl.

"On house calls, we often go in blind, not knowing what we'll find," said Veilleux. "The home was filled with wonderful pieces, but it was in the attic, among stacks of art, that we found this remarkable portrait."

The portrait, depicting a teenage girl in a black dress with a white ruffled collar and a white cap, was in remarkable condition despite its age. Painted on a cradled oak panel and mounted in a hand-carved gold Dutch frame, the piece had an untouched surface and established family provenance. A label on the verso of the frame attributed the work to Rembrandt, noting it had been previously loaned to an exhibition in 1970 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The portrait was subsequently added to the second day of the annual Summer Grandeur sale held by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, a three-day auction featuring over 1,500 lots of fine art, antiques, collectibles, and more. After seven hours of intense bidding on Saturday, lot 2363, the portrait, was presented at the podium.

As the bidding began, nine staff members from the auction house attended the phones, many of them representing international buyers from Europe. Bidding quickly escalated into the six-digit range, with the phone bidders engaging in a fierce competition. At $900,000, only three phone bidders remained, quickly narrowing down to two as the price approached the million-dollar mark.

Zebulon Casperson, the staff member who represented the winning bidder, played a crucial role in securing the final bid. Reflecting on the experience, Casperson said, "It was amazing. Out of all the phone bids I've handled, I never imagined I'd help close a deal for over a million dollars. It feels like a shared victory."

In the end, the piece was awarded to a private European collector for $1,410,000, believed to have set a new record for the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction in Maine. This sale also marked a significant milestone for Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, underscoring the gallery's growing reputation as a leader in the fine art auction world. This achievement reflects the gallery's dedication to uncovering and bringing to market rare and valuable works, further establishing its position as a trusted authority in the international art community.

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries is Northern New England's premier international auction company located on U.S. Route 1 in Thomaston, ME. Thomaston Place is a leader in discovering antique and fine art treasurers by offering Free Appraisals each Tuesday at the gallery, creating fundraiser events for civic and charitable organizations, and providing house call appraisal services. Their expertise in researching and marketing antiques and fine art has earned Thomaston Place the respect of buyers, collectors, and experts worldwide.

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