NEW YORK — One of Norman Rockwell's most famous paintings, discovered hidden behind a fake wall in its owner's Vermont home, has sold for $15.4 million.
"Breaking Home Ties," which "Henry" comic strip illustrator Donald Trachte Sr. purchased from Rockwell when the two were neighbors in Arlington, Vt., was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder, Sotheby's auction house said Thursday.
Sotheby's said the price eclipsed a previous Rockwell record set by "Homecoming Marine," which it sold for $9.2 million in May.
"Breaking Home Ties" was included in a sale of American paintings.
Edward Hopper's "Hotel Window" also brought a record price when it sold for $26.8 million. The New York Times said the seller was actor Steve Martin.
"Breaking Home Ties" became a centerpiece of Trachte's collection after he bought it for $900 in 1960. He made a replica of the painting in the 1970s, displaying it in his home while hiding the original behind the fake wall.
"I think he just wanted to tuck these in the wall for his kids," his son, Donald Trachte Jr., said when the discovery was made in April.