Texas bluebonnet painting sold for $112,500 after being nearly donated
A family heirloom was saved from a Goodwill donation before being identified as an original work by Julian Onderdonk.
A century-old painting of Texas bluebonnets was sold for $112,500 at an auction on June 29, 2024, according to the Times of India. The artwork, titled A Field of Bluebonnets, San Antonio, was originally a gift given to Carlotta Preston by a distant relative to celebrate her birth in 1922.
The painting was almost lost when Preston's family moved from California to Washington state. While relatives were helping Preston prepare for retirement, the artwork was placed on a trailer intended for Goodwill donations. Preston decided at the last minute to keep the piece because of its appearance.
After Preston died, the painting was kept by her daughter near Tacoma, Washington. The family later discovered the work was an original by Julian Onderdonk, a landscape painter. Preston's grandson, Jared Brinkley, transported the painting from Seattle to Dallas using foam and cardboard for protection.
Onderdonk, who died in 1922, was known for impressionist landscapes of the Texas natural landscape. The painting was consigned to Heritage Auctions in Dallas, where it was sold alongside two other Onderdonk works that fetched $106,250 and $93,750.