Bluebonnet (plant)
Bluebonnet is a name given to any number of blue-flowered species of the genus "Lupinus" predominantly found in southwestern United States and is collectively the state flower of Texas. The shape of the petals on the flower resembles the bonnet worn by pioneer women to shield them from the sun.
Species often called bluebonnets include:On March 7, 1901, "Lupinus subcarnosus" became the only species of bluebonnet recognized as the state flower of Texas; however, "Lupinus texensis" emerged as the favorite of most Texans. So, in 1971, the Texas Legislature made any similar species of "Lupinus" that could be found in Texas the state flower.
Porfirio Salinas
While Salinas sold his work steadily, by 1960 he was known primarily to Texas collectors and tourists who visited San Antonio. In 1961, this changed rapidly with the election of his collector Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) to the Vice Presidency of the United States. With his ascension from the United States Senate to being Vice President, Johnson and his wife Lady Bird Johnson (1912–2007) purchased a large French-style chateau from the socialite and heiress Perle Mesta (1889–1975). They decorated the house with French antiques and tapestries that were already in the home, but the foyer was hung with Texas wildflower paintings by Salinas. Lady Bird Johnson was quoted as saying, "I want to see them when I open the door, to remind me of where I come from." Lyndon Johnson told the Washington press that Porfirio Salinas was "his favorite artist." President Johnson also presented a Salinas painting to President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz of Mexico as an official gift from the United States. The patronage of the President was a tremendous boost to the artist's career and during the 1960s, his work sold briskly for ever higher prices. The Johnsons' Salinas paintings remain in the collection of the LBJ Ranch today. President and Lady Bird Johnson were both advocates and admirers of wildflowers. Lady Bird Johnson will always remain linked to the subject of wildflowers because of her "Beautify America" campaign and the Highway Beautification Act, which was passed by the United States Congress in 1965. As part of that effort, many miles of Texas roadsides were seeded with Texas bluebonnets, Lupinus texensis, the flowers that Salinas is known for painting.