PROPERTY FROM THE DUFFY AND TINA OYSTER FOUNDATION. JULIAN ONDERDONK (American, 1882-1922). Flag Mountain, 1914. Oil o...

Description

PROPERTY FROM THE DUFFY AND TINA OYSTER FOUNDATION

JULIAN ONDERDONK (American, 1882-1922)
Flag Mountain, 1914
Oil on artist's board
10 x 14 inches (25.4 x 35.6 cm)
Signed lower left: Julian Onderdonk Titled, signed, and dated verso: Flag Mountain - on the West Prong of the / Medina River - S.W. Texas / Julian Onderdonk 1914

In Flag Mountain - on the West Prong of the Medina River (S.W. Texas), Julian Onderdonk has tried something somewhat different than his typical impressionistic paintings. Usually, he lyrically portrays atmosphere, light, and mist to create that soft, dreamy style that most characterizes his work. Instead, he has created a painting which has a rough surface and abstract style. When viewed up-close the typical Onderdonk will consist of small and subtle, but still painterly, brushwork. Perhaps the most wonderful part of Flag Mountain, and hardest to capture in photographs, is the rich texture. A thick impasto has been created using a palette knife and relatively large brushes. The stunning jewel-toned blues, greens, and lavenders draw the eye, accenting the pink, orange, and white paint. The formal abstraction, expressive use of color, and exuberant style is absolutely inspired. It communicates the joy that Onderdonk felt when painting for himself and his love of the land he spent his life trying to capture on canvas. Flag Mountain will be included in the catalogue raisonné now in progress.

Julian Onderdonk is known as the "Texas Impressionist" for his beautiful landscapes. He was a native of San Antonio and the son of the artist Robert Jenkins Onderdonk. In 1901, at the age of nineteen, he moved to New York City and attended several art schools. He then studied plein-air painting with William Merritt Chase at his summer school in Shinecock, New York. After returning home to Texas in 1909, he enjoyed considerable success during his lifetime. He became best known for his paintings of bluebonnets, but he also loved to depict the Texas Hill Country in all its incarnations. Unfortunately, he suffered an early death at the age of forty. His work can be found in museums and important private collections across the country. In 2008, the Dallas Museum of Art held an exhibition entitled Bluebonnets and Beyond: Julian Onderdonk, American Impressionist, which has further established his work as the most admired and sought-after of the early Texas artists.

More information about Onderdonk, Julian. See also: Julian Onderdonk Artist.

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