'Remarkable' Rembrandt Portrait Found in Maine Attic During 'Routine House Call' Sells for $1.4M

"This is a prime example of the remarkable treasures that can be uncovered through house call," Kaja Veilleux of Thomaston Place Auction Galleries tells PEOPLE

A rare portrait found in an attic recently sold for $1.4 million at auction.

A portrait of a young girl painted by Rembrandt was recently discovered on Aug. 30 by Kaja Veilleux of the Thomaston Place Auction Galleries during “a routine house call at a private estate in Camden, Maine,” according to a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

"On house calls, we often go in blind, not knowing what we'll find," Veilleux said in a statement. "The home was filled with wonderful pieces, but it was in the attic, among stacks of art, that we found this remarkable portrait."

Related: Painting Stolen 60 Years Ago Returned to N.Y. Gallery After Turning up in U.K. Sale

The portrait, which depicted a young girl in a black dress with a white ruffled collar and a white cap, was described as being “in remarkable condition despite its age" by the auction house.

Their statement noted that a label on the frame proved it was the work of Rembrandt, and that it had been “previously loaned to an exhibition in 1970 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art."

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Upon uncovering the artistic find, the portrait, titled "After Rembrandt," was added to the annual Summer Grandeur sale held by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries — and a bidding war ensued.

"It was amazing," said Zebulon Casperson, who represented the winning bidder, identified only as a private European collector.

"Out of all the phone bids I've handled, I never imagined I'd help close a deal for over a million dollars. It feels like a shared victory," added Casperson.

Related: Woman Learns Thrift Store Painting She Bought for $4 Is Actually Lost Artwork That Could Sell for $250K

The sale is believed to have "set a new record for the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction in Maine," per the auction house.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Veilleux says, "This is a prime example of the remarkable treasures that can be uncovered through house calls in New England."

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Read the original article on People.