Emily Chan
He brought the painting along with him as he boarded the Titanic for his journey to the United States, where he would be pursuing a degree in chemical engineering.
While on the Titanic, he befriended Hugh Woolner. When the ship hit the iceberg, they were both in a first-class smoking lounge. Together, they jumped into action and helped people into lifeboats.
Just as the boat was about to be completely swallowed up by the sea, they scrambled into one of the last few lifeboats. Eventually, they, along with other survivors, were rescued by RMS Carpathia.
Initially, Björnström-Steffansson had filed for a sum of $100,000 for the lost painting, but the total settlement that was paid out was for $664,000, which would be about $17 million today.
By being known as the most high-valued item onboard during the fateful voyage, the loss of Blondel’s painting has actually helped keep his name alive over the centuries.
