Jane Austen painting doesn't sell at auction

A while back, I mentioned that a painting that some believe is the only known portrait of Jane Austen (see above) was up for sale. The painter was Ozias Humphry, and the seller was Henry Rice, a distant relative of the late English novelist.

Well, I just read that the painting - occasionally known as The Rice Portrait of Jane Austen - did not reach the owner's minimum price. Christie's had expected the painting to fetch between $400,000-800,000.

Surprising? Yes, especially because art auctions and sales are on the rise these days. I thought that the minimum price - which has been kept secret - would have at least been reached.

So, I guess the long-standing controversy over the identity of the woman in the painting turned off more prospective buyers rather than encouraged them to take a gamble on what could be an original portrait of Austen.