Rembrandt 'Portrait of a Girl' found in Maine attic sells for record $1.4 million
A 17th century portrait discovered in an attic by the Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt sold for $1.4 million in Maine, breaking a state record.
The painting, titled "Portrait of Girl" by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, sold to the highest bidder at the Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in the small town of Thomaston in southern Maine. The sale broke the auction records in the state, according to the group.
The portrait depicts a teenage girl wearing Dutch attire, a white collar and cap, while conveying a serene look. Thomaston Place founder Kaja Veilleux made the "once-in-a-lifetime discovery" in a Camden attic around 12 miles northeast of the auction house.
"We often go in blind on house calls, not knowing what we’ll find," Veilleux said in the news release.
In 1970, the Philadelphia Museum of Art once displayed the Rembrandt piece in a hand-carved frame, the auction house added.
Rembrandt painting sought after by 3 persistent bidders
On Aug. 24, bidders from around the world sought after the piece, but it was the prices offered by a persistent three that led to the $1.4 million final offer.
"Out of all the phone bids I’ve handled, I never imagined I’d help close a deal for over a million dollars," auction host Zebulon Casperson said in the news release. "It feels like a shared victory."
Veilleux said he discovered the painting during a routine visit, the auction house announced.
"The home was filled with wonderful pieces but it was in the attic, among stacks of art that we found this remarkable portrait." he told Fortune.