An Accidental Find
In 2017, a woman browsing a thrift store in Manchester, New Hampshire, picked up a framed painting from a pile of art stacked against a wall. The piece, priced at $4, caught her attention for its detail and quality, but she had no idea it was an original work by one of America’s most renowned illustrators, N.C. Wyeth. For years, the painting hung quietly in her home until she decided to investigate its origin. That simple curiosity led to the rediscovery of a long-lost work of art missing for decades.
A Hidden American Masterpiece
The painting turned out to be an original N.C. Wyeth oil created in 1939 for a special illustrated edition of Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson. Wyeth, father of painter Andrew Wyeth and grandfather of Jamie Wyeth, had completed four illustrations for the book, but one had been missing for generations. Experts later confirmed that this was that very piece — a scene long thought lost from Wyeth’s prolific career. The work had somehow vanished after publication, likely sold privately and later forgotten.
From Attic to Auction
After learning its potential value, the owner contacted Bonhams Skinner, a Boston-based auction house. Specialists authenticated the painting as an original N.C. Wyeth, measuring roughly 20 by 30 inches and in remarkable condition. The discovery drew national attention as one of the most unlikely art finds in recent memory. Bonhams Skinner listed the painting for auction in September 2023 with an estimated value between $150,000 and $250,000.
When the bidding opened on September 19, collectors and museums from across the country competed for the work. The hammer came down at $191,000, including the buyer’s premium — a staggering leap from its $4 purchase price six years earlier. The buyer has not been publicly identified, but the sale was confirmed by Bonhams Skinner as one of their most talked-about lots of the year.
A Rare Stroke of Luck
Art historians noted that Wyeth’s paintings seldom appear in unexpected places, making this discovery extraordinary. The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said she was simply drawn to the piece’s “warm, old-fashioned quality.” Her instinct paid off, uncovering a lost fragment of American art history.
A woman bought a $4 thrift-store painting in New Hampshire, thinking it just looked nice…
Years later, she discovered it was a lost N.C. Wyeth masterpiece worth a fortune.
That casual purchase would turn into one of the most astonishing art rediscoveries in decades.🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/oieXBJ8WSS
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) October 25, 2025