We’re changing things up a bit for today’s Texas History Tuesday! The oil painting of bluebonnets, pictured above, is by noted Texas artist Julian Onderdonk. His idyllic paintings of Texas, and specifically bluebonnets, contribute to him being called the “father of Texas painting.” His painting style marks him clearly as an impressionist painter, a style he developed while studying with William Merritt Chase for two years. He then moved to New York City, and returned to San Antonio (his birthplace) in 1909. From 1909 until 1922, he produced the Texas work he is most famous for.
The Witte Museum, in San Antonio, holds a significant collection of Onderdonk paintings, but if you don’t want to brave I-35, we have a portfolio of reproductions of his work held in special collections. His work is lovely, and reminds us of the beauty of our home state we can take for granted.
Here’s the link to our portfolio: