On Monday, 15 November, I spoke with a representative from Butterscotch about the painting. She said that Butterscotch had become aware of the posting on Auction Augur through a significant increase in inquiries that morning regarding the painting. Once I identified myself and described my research to her, it was agreed that the in-house appraiser at Butterscotch would contact me to discuss the identification of the sitter. I subsequently traded emails with the in-house appraiser at Butterscotch Auctioneers over the course of a couple of days. They were very receptive to my input, for which I am grateful. In the end, I spent several hours thinking about the painting and doing some more research, and I wrote up my thoughts for submission to the auction house on 17 November. As a direct result, the listing in the online auction catalogue was significantly amended that same day, with the identification changed from Mary, Queen of Scots to become  Unknown Lady (likely Queen Elizabeth I), though that somewhat overstated my opinion (see Berry-Hill Portrait for what I actually told the Butterscotch appraiser).

    Lot 209 came to the auction block just after 12 noon east coast time on Sunday, 21 November 2021. I had registered as a potential phone bidder and thus was on the phone to the auction room when the lot came up. Even over the phone, the anticipation and excitement in the room could be heard! The auctioneer opened the lot with an announcement that the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC had contacted the auction house to ask that a message be passed along to the winner of the auction: “Would the winning bidder please consider loaning the painting to the Smithsonian for an exhibition now being planned for next year?” That drew a gasp from the auction room audience that was clearly audible even over the phone! Bidding opened at almost $20,000 thanks to online bids already received and was fast and aggressive. Raises were in $10,000 increments. The bid passed $50,000 in just seconds and hit $100,000 in just a couple of minutes. The lucky winner of the auction ultimately paid $158,661 including buyer’s premium and commissions, obliterating the pre-auction estimate of just $5000-$10,000!!! Applause could be heard over the telephone when the hammer came down.

    My personal congratulations to the now-former owner(s) of the painting, and on behalf of the history and art history communities, many thanks for preserving the portrait in such fine condition. Congratulations as well to Butterscotch Auctioneers for a very successful sale, as well as my gratitude for allowing me to be a part of the process. Lastly, I would like to congratulate the new owner(s) of the Berry-Hill Portrait on a fine acquisition!

    For my pre-auction assessment of the re-discovered Berry-Hill Portrait and a post-auction update, click on the image below: