The painting had been valued by Freeman’s at $150,000 (NZ$267,816) to $250,000 (NZ$446,360), though bids at last Thursday’s sale far surpassed estimates, setting a new auction record for Abercrombie’s work. In 2025, Sotheby’s sold another of Abercrombie’s paintings, Message for Mercy for a then-record of $1.02 million (NZ$1.8 million), more than triple its high estimate.
