A rummage sale in Wausau turned into a fortune when a local buyer paid $29 for a floral canvas that would later astonish collectors. The piece, an oil on canvas measuring 15 by 24 inches, was admired at the time only for its vivid magnolia blossoms.
After about ten years, art historians from the National Gallery of Art examined the work and confirmed it as Martin Johnson Heade's 'Two Magnolias on Blue Plush'. The attribution hinged on the painter's distinctive use of blue velvet as a backdrop and the subtle signature that, though indistinct, matched Heade's known style.
Christie’s listed the painting in its Important American Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture sale held in New York on May 26, 1999. The catalog estimated a sale range of $300,000 to $500,000, but competitive bidding pushed the hammer price to $882,500, a record for a Heade still life.
The auction highlighted Heade's magnolia series as a career culmination and underscored how provenance can dramatically inflate value. Christie’s curator noted the painting's journey from a discount sale to a museum‑grade work, a narrative rare in the fine‑art market.
The story has spurred collectors to scour estate and garage sales for hidden gems, with several Heade pieces following similar paths in recent years.