Had it not been for the discerning eyes of Goodwill store employees, the research skills of the store manager and the help of a few art historians, the Parisian street scene painted by Impressionist Edouard-Leon Cortes might well be hanging today in a college dorm room, over a bed in some cheap Highway 50 motel, or on the faux wood-paneled walls of an Eastern Shore double-wide.
Instead, the painting that was dropped off along with the rest of the day's intake at the Goodwill store in Easton - pots and pans, end tables, clothes, coffee machines, clock radios and the like - is in the hands of an anonymous connoisseur of French Impressionist art, or at least someone who appreciated it enough to fork over $40,600 for the piece at a Sotheby's auction a few weeks ago.
"It could have very easily ended up put in a pile, marked for $20," said Ursula Villar, marketing and development director for Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake Inc.
It's not unusual for buried treasure to be found at a Goodwill store, but most tales of fantastic finds emerge after a customer has left the store with a bargain-priced item, only to find out its true value later.
This time, though, the piece in question wasn't priced and put up for sale - and as a result, Goodwill Industries is $40,000 richer.
"We just lucked upon an opportunity to increase our ability to give back," said Terri Tonelli, manager of the Easton store. "Our mission is about helping people - the less fortunate and disabled - with job readiness and career training. This is going to go a long way to help that."
And, as for the donor who left the painting at the store back in March, he or she is out of luck. Even if the accidentally generous philanthropist could prove the donation - Goodwill doesn't keep records of donors or give them itemized receipts - the gift is considered a legal, and final, transaction.
Tonelli said she was on vacation when the painting was dropped off at the store around March 19.
Luckily, some sharp-eyed store employees plucked the item from that day's load of donations, suspecting that it might be something of unusual value.
"They had recognized it as something worth a second look. So when I came back from vacation, that's when I actually put my hands on it and took a look," Tonelli said. "We get a lot of donations every day. The thing with paintings and art is it's hard to distinguish sometimes whether it's real, or a print, or a copy."
