Got Abercrombie?

No, not that annoying place at the mall. Chicago artist  Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977), to be far more specific. Abercrombie was a major proponent of the Magical Realism school that incorporated the use of surrealism in the 1940s and 1950s among Chicago area and Wisconsin artists. She was also a cultural force; memorable for hosting musicians (think Billie Holiday), poets (think Archibald MacLeish), and artists at her North Shore home. Abercrombie as an artist who preferred concept to technique in her artwork, and the result is a collection of paintings that are, on the surface, rather naive looking, but draw one in with unusual, often noctural themes. Diminutive and weird, her artwork sells. Among the 65 works in her auction record at Askart, 95% have sold. That’s a 5% buy-in rate, folks. That’s gooooooood.
Treadway Gallery has, among its offerings at the March 7 auction, a smallish 1945 Abercrombie oil, The Visit.  The noctural visitor is one of her enduring themes, so its right on for this artist.  Value-wise, it has a bit of a problem, though: it has only been off the market for less than 2 years.  Previously sold at a rival Chicago auction house in Sept. 2008 for $7930, this time it’s being offered with a 7-9k estimate, but will likely sell for lower.  For measure, Abercrombie’s work commonly sells into the five figure range.  Bargains, at least so far, don’t happen in the market for Abercrombie, but given this piece’s recent exposure in the marketplace, it might translate in to a sweet deal for someone willing to buy and hold for a while.