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$30 Painting Sells For Record $1.35 Million

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Art historian Susan Weininger then authenticated the painting. Photo credit rblfmr/Shutterstock

Everyone loves finding a good bargain, whether it is in a clothes shop, charity shop, car boot sale or supermarket. And if you know what you are looking at, you might just stumble across something worth far more than its price tag suggests. That is exactly what happened to one bargain hunter in Michigan, USA, who spotted something most people had already walked straight past.

He was looking for vinyl records at a house clearance sale when something else caught his attention. It was sitting in a dark corner of a hallway leading towards the garage, and there was a detail on it that made him stop and take a closer look. He had no idea at the time that he had found something with a remarkable history.

The painting that cost just $30

Unbeknown to him,  The item was a small oil painting called Alderman Merriam’s Shells, created in 1951 by American artist Gertrude Abercrombie. It measures around 20 by 28 centimetres and shows nine seashells arranged against a dark background, with one shell appearing to float above the surface. Abercrombie was known for her surrealist paintings, often placing familiar objects in unusual and dreamlike settings.

She became an important figure in Chicago’s art scene, with shells, cats, trees, furniture and solitary figures appearing repeatedly in her work. The buyer paid just $30 for the painting. What prompted him to investigate further was the faint signature on the canvas, which read “Abercrombie, ’51”.

An old photograph provided the crucial clue

His search eventually led him to the Milwaukee Art Museum, which was holding an exhibition devoted to Abercrombie called The Whole World Is a Mystery. An exhibition catalogue contained an archival photograph of the same painting. That image had appeared in a 1952 Chicago Tribune review of one of Abercrombie’s exhibitions. It gave the buyer a documented connection between the painting sitting in his possession and the artist’s work from more than seven decades earlier.

Art historian Susan Weininger then authenticated the painting. It had been out of public view for around 75 years, remaining with the same family rather than appearing on the art market. Its earlier history was also uncovered. Abercrombie had given the painting to Dr John Reynolds, a physician in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in exchange for medical services. His family subsequently kept it for generations before it ended up at the estate sale.

From $30 to more than $1.35 million

After authentication, the painting was consigned to Freeman’s auction house for its post-war and contemporary art sale in New York on 1 October 2026. The pre-sale estimate was between $150,000 and $250,000. That would already have represented an extraordinary return on the original purchase, but the bidding went considerably higher.

Bidding opened at $80,000, with five telephone bidders and several online buyers competing for the work. The final price reached $1,352,600, including the buyer’s premium. The sale established a new auction record for Abercrombie and marked the first time one of her paintings had achieved a hammer price above $1 million, according to Freeman’s.

Gertrude Abercrombie’s work is finding a new audience

Abercrombie was born in 1909 and spent most of her life in Chicago. Her paintings often have a deliberately sparse quality, using a small number of objects against plain backgrounds to create strange, unsettling scenes. Her work has attracted increasing attention in recent years, with exhibitions helping introduce her paintings to a wider audience and collectors showing greater interest in her distinctive style.

For Alderman Merriam’s Shells, the journey from a family home to a dark hallway corner at a garage sale and finally to a major auction took around 75 years. The person who spotted it was looking for records and paid $30 for a painting most other buyers ignored. He ultimately walked away with the discovery of a previously overlooked work by an increasingly recognised American artist, one that sold for more than 45,000 times what he paid for it.

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Spain Weather Swings From 3C Cold To 30C Heat

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Temperatures in parts of Spain could climb above 30C after the brief autumn cold snap. Credit : gmarinho, Shutterstock

Packing for a trip across Spain this weekend could be unusually tricky. While some cities in the interior will wake up to 3° C, there are places in the south of the country where the afternoon temperature may still be above 30° C.

The contrast comes as cooler polar air brings a touch of autumn to central and northern areas. But anyone reaching for winter clothing may not need it for long: temperatures are forecast to rebound over the weekend before warmer air spreads across much of Spain from Monday, the 12th of October.

For residents and visitors, it could be coats first thing in the morning, and considerably lighter clothing by the afternoon, according to where they are. The difference between the coldest mornings and the warmest daytime temperatures will approach thirty degrees.

Along with the pronounced change in temperatures, another complication for weekend plans is that Aemet warnings remain in place for heavy rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and rough seas, particularly in parts of the Mediterranean and the south.

From 3C to 31C: Spain wakes up to a dramatic temperature contrast

The biggest shock will come early in the morning. According to forecasts of Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, Aemet, Ávila could fall to just 3° C this Friday, making it one of the coldest provincial capitals.

Segovia is forecast to reach 4° C, while Burgos, León, Salamanca and Huesca may fall to about 5° C; Palencia, Soria and Teruel are expected to hover around 6° C.

Madrid is another example of autumnal cold, with a temperature of about 10° in the morning and about 20° in midday. Valladolid might have a beginning of 7° and end at 19°.

If you travel south, however, you might feel like it is a different season altogether.

Granada, Málaga, and Almería are to reach about 27°C. Seville and Huelva may reach 31°C, and Cádiz and Córdoba are forecast to climb to around 28°C.

That enormous north-south contrast means travellers across Spain should be prepared for very different conditions within the same day.

The colder mornings may be felt by those who have to get up early for work, catch a morning flight, or be out of doors. Meanwhile, travellers going south will still have to look for shade during the hottest hours of the afternoon.

Spain weather warnings: storms and rough seas could disrupt weekend plans

Temperatures are only part of the picture.Despite some of the recent rainfall abating, the Mediterranean and the south of Spain will remain unsettled. There will be locally heavy rain and thunderstorms, particularly in the vicinity of Ceuta and the south-eastern coast.

Aemet warnings are in force over areas including Girona, the Balearic Islands, Lanzarote and Ceuta for rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and dangerous coastal conditions.

Some of the most difficult conditions are expected around Girona’s coastline.In parts of the Empordà there is an orange warning for coastal conditions, where northerly and north-westerly winds may reach 50 to 70 km/h, and waves may rise to between three and four metres.

Menorca is also under an orange coastal warning, with potential waves of between four and five metres, and northerly winds of around 50 to 60 km/h.

In addition, southern Girona and parts of Mallorca are on yellow alert for wind and rough seas, while Ceuta and Lanzarote face yellow alerts for rain and thunderstorms. Rainfall could reach up to 15 liters per square meter in an hour in affected areas.

For anyone planning coastal walks, ferry journeys, beach visits or other activities close to the sea, the warnings are therefore more important than the relatively mild daytime temperatures might suggest.

Spain temperatures to surge again from October 12 as warmer air returns

The cold snap is not expected to last.During the weekend temperatures will rise and then a much warmer air mass will spread across much of Spain from Sunday into Monday, October 12. This will coincide with Spain’s National Day and the end of the Pilar long weekend.

According to forecasts cited from Meteored, an anti-cyclonic ridge could bring temperatures above the seasonal average across large parts of Spain from Monday through Thursday.

Badajoz, Córdoba, Huelva, Ourense and Seville could climb back to 30° C or above, with some local temperatures exceeding 32° C.

Cáceres, Cádiz, Murcia, and Zaragoza will approach 28° C; in Madrid, temperatures may reach around 25° C. Also the nights are expected to be milder, with minimum temperatures in many inland provincial capitals struggling to fall below 10° C.

What it amounts to is an unusually changeable few days for anyone making plans around Spain.

Friday morning will be, in certain inland towns, almost as cold as in winter, and next week the temperatures may be more reminiscent of late summer.

Practically, travellers can do no better than pack for both. A jacket in Castilla y León might be invaluable very early in the morning, while sunglasses and lighter clothing may be more useful a few hours later in Andalucía.

For those staying in Spain through the October 12 holiday, the weather story may ultimately be less about how soon autumn arrives than how quickly it appears to retreat again.

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Spain Leads Stronger Construction Markets

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Europe’s construction sector is expected to remain subdued in 2026. Credit: Maksim Safaniuk / Shutterstock.com.

Europe’s construction industry is facing another subdued year, with high financing costs, expensive materials and weak housing economics continuing to restrain activity. Spain is among the stronger performers, while infrastructure, renewable energy and railway projects are providing some support across the continent.

European construction growth remains under pressure

Europe’s construction sector is expected to remain subdued in 2026, with sharp differences between national markets as high financing costs and weak housing economics restrain activity.

EU construction output is forecast to grow just 0.5 per cent this year. Infrastructure investment, energy projects and Germany’s gradual recovery are providing support, but residential building remains under pressure from borrowing costs, expensive materials and economic uncertainty.

Spain construction output forecast to rise 3%

Spain is among the stronger performers. Construction output is forecast to rise 3 per cent in 2026 after recovering from a fall of more than 25 per cent between 2019 and 2022. Housing permits nearly tripled between 2020 and 2024, although momentum is now easing, with permits falling almost 2 per cent in the second quarter. Spain also faces greater exposure to sudden cost increases because public contracts generally lack price-adjustment mechanisms.

France contracts as Germany returns to growth

Elsewhere, France is expected to contract 2.5 per cent this year, while Germany is forecast to return to growth after five consecutive years of decline. Poland is expected to remain broadly flat before improving in 2027.

The UK is not included in the EU-specific forecasts in the research, so no comparable British construction growth figure is provided.

Infrastructure provides strongest support across Europe

Across Europe, infrastructure remains the sector’s strongest support.

Energy construction continues to benefit from renewable power and electricity-grid investment, while railway projects include high-speed investment in Spain and Portugal. Housing recovery looks slower, with EU building permits stabilising after rising around 15 per cent between summer 2024 and the end of 2025, across many major urban markets.

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Couple Found Dead In Spanish Home

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The deaths of a 37-year-old woman and a man at a home in Cuenca have prompted an investigation into suspected gender-based violence, after the pair were discovered with signs of violence inside their property.

The bodies were found on Thursday evening, October 8, in a house on Calle Mayorazgo in Valverde de Júcar, a municipality in the Spanish province of Cuenca. The couple had two daughters, aged six and 14.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation, with authorities examining whether the incident was a case of violence against women.

Emergency services called to the property

The alarm was raised at around 7.30pm after a person contacted Castilla-La Mancha’s emergency services, 112, reporting that they could not gain access to a property where they knew two people were inside.

The Guardia Civil and firefighters from the Motilla del Palancar station were dispatched to the address. After entering the house, they discovered both bodies.

A doctor attended the scene and confirmed the deaths, while the emergency response also included the activation of a Red Cross psychosocial support team.

The woman was identified as being 37 years old. Authorities have not released the man’s age.

Investigators are working to establish exactly what happened inside the property and the circumstances that led to the deaths.

Possible case of gender-based violence

The deaths have raised concerns about a possible case of gender-based violence, with officials from the regional government expressing their shock at the news.

Castilla-La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page said he felt profound sadness and dismay over the incident. He added that, if it was confirmed to be another case of gender-based violence, he also felt anger and indignation.

He condemned violence against women and sent his condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones.

Regional equality minister Sara Simón also expressed her dismay, saying the circumstances appeared to point towards another suspected gender-based killing.

The Government Delegation against Gender Violence is gathering information about the case as authorities work to establish the full circumstances.

Woman was not registered with VioGén

One detail emerging from the investigation is that the woman was not registered with VioGén, Spain’s police monitoring and protection system for victims of gender-based violence.

However, her absence from the system does not establish what happened or determine the nature of the deaths. Investigators must establish the circumstances before the case can be formally classified.

The deaths have also left two young girls without their parents, aged six and 14. The activation of the Red Cross psychosocial team reflects the need for support following the discovery.

The Guardia Civil investigation remains ongoing, and the precise causes and circumstances of the deaths have yet to be fully established.

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