Art news
Dallas auction of Texas art includes painting plucked from Goodwill pile
A Field of Bluebonnets, San Antonio, by Julian Onderdonk
A valuable painting that was nearly donated to Goodwill is now on the block by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
Called A Field of Bluebonnets, San Antonio, it was done in 1921 by Impressionist painter Julian Onderdonk and is part of a June 29 auction of Texas art.
According to a release, the painting belonged to a family who didn't realize its value.
“It was a family heirloom all these years,” says the original owner’s grandson. “But it was decoration. We hadn’t considered researching it. And now, it should go to someone who will genuinely appreciate it."
Onderdonk is credited with inventing the category of bluebonnet painting, and the work is considered a stellar example, painted in his prime.
The piece is joined in the auction by another Onderdonk work called Blue Bonnets on Grey Day, North of San Antonio, Texas, which he painted in 1916, praised in the release for its color palette of soft purples, blues, and grays.
The auction showcases Texas artists, ranging from century old to contemporary, with 107 works.
“Heritage’s Signature Texas Art auctions always include great works, but this one is really special,” says Heritage Director of Texas Art Atlee Phillips. “There is not a bad painting among the 107 lots of this small but highly curated auction.”
Other significant works include paintings from Frank Reaugh, the “Dean of Texas Painters," celebrated for his plein air pastel portraits of the American West and Texas. Reaugh’s On Pease River and Palo Duro Canyon No. 1 are highlights.
“Given its size and quality, On Pease River is an excellent example of Reaugh's mastery of the 'cattle country west of Fort Worth,' as he referred to it,” says Michael Grauer, a Frank Reaugh scholar.
From the collection of acclaimed contemporary Texas artist Kelly Fearing comes a circa-1987 painting by Everett Franklin Spruce titled Giant Yucca Near Hot Spring. Artists David Bates, Robyn O’Neil, Porfirio Salinas, G. Harvey, Fred Darge, Seymour Fogel, and the sculptor Charles Umlauf also have works featured in the auction.
“These are just a few examples of what we are expecting to be one of the best Texas art auctions we have had in several years,” says Phillips. “Many of the best early Texas works have already found homes in private collections and museums. It’s rare to have so many amazing examples of early Texas art that are completely fresh to the market. This is not an auction that collectors will want to miss.”
