Rare 1907 Portrait of Marjorie Merriweather Post Sells for $35,560 at Sotheby's, Far Exceeding Estimates

The art market demonstrated robust interest in historically significant portraiture as a rare 1907 painting of American heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post by celebrated British artist Sir James Jebusa Shannon achieved $35,560 at Sotheby's auction on October 15. The sale price substantially exceeded the pre-sale estimate range of $10,000 to $15,000, signaling strong collector appetite for works connected to influential historical figures from the early twentieth century.

Executed in oil on canvas, the portrait captures Post at age twenty, decades before she became a defining figure of American high society and a leading collector of Russian art. Shannon, one of the foremost society portraitists of the Edwardian era and a Royal Academician, imbued the work with a delicate realism that foreshadows Post's transformation from youthful debutante to commanding businesswoman. The painting measures approximately 56 by 45 inches and was offered in a carved Carrig-Rohane frame dated 1907, a detail prized among collectors of early twentieth-century portraiture.

The portrait's provenance traces to R. Thornton Wilson, with a prior sale at Christie's New York in 1992, where it appeared under the title Portrait of a Lady. Its reemergence at Sotheby's generated notable interest among both portrait collectors and admirers of Post, whose fortune derived from the General Foods Corporation empire built by her father, cereal magnate C.W. Post. The sitter's serene expression—softly lit and framed by a high lace collar—contrasts with the assertive poise that would later define her public persona.

Shannon's restrained brushwork and compositional elegance reflect his academic training at London's South Kensington School of Art under Sir Edward Poynter, as well as his early commissions from Queen Victoria, achievements that established his reputation among Britain's aristocracy and the international elite. While not among Shannon's royal commissions, the painting's significance lies in its timing and subject matter, created when both artist and sitter were ascending their respective social and professional trajectories.

The work captures the genteel optimism of the Edwardian age before the upheavals of the First World War. For collectors of American and British portraiture, the sale underscores the enduring appeal of Shannon's craftsmanship and the cultural fascination with Marjorie Merriweather Post—a woman whose life bridged Gilded Age opulence and modern American enterprise. Sotheby's did not disclose the buyer's identity, but the price reflects a renewed appetite for early twentieth-century portraiture tied to figures of historical prominence and enduring social allure.

The substantial premium paid for this portrait suggests growing recognition among collectors of the intersection between artistic merit and historical significance. Works that document pivotal moments in the lives of influential figures continue to command attention in the auction market, particularly when executed by artists of Shannon's caliber. The painting's journey through notable collections, including its previous appearance at Christie's New York, adds to its appeal for serious collectors seeking works with established provenance and historical resonance.