Ms. Armour and her siblings then put the Homer paintings up for auction with Christie's. Boy and Girl at a Well (1879) sold for $113,400, including fees. The estimate had been $80,000 to $120,000.

A Sewanee woman and her daughter found themselves sitting on their hands at a Christie's auction in New York City in January, trying not to accidentally bid while they were gawking at the going rate ...