Porfirio Salinas (American, 1910-1973). Flowers in Bloom. Oil on canvas. 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm). Signed lower ...

Description

Porfirio Salinas (American, 1910-1973)
Flowers in Bloom
Oil on canvas
30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm)
Signed lower left: Porfirio Salinas

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Chappell Hill, Texas.

Porfirio Salina's brilliance lays in his ability to capture the captivating beauty of rural Texas. His landscapes, bathed in an exceptional play of vibrant hues, deeply resonate with the idyllic tranquility of fields blanketed with azure bluebonnets and the serene creeks meandering through the undulating terrain. Salinas's paintings, characterized by their lush and verdant themes, present an immaculate representation of Texas's natural splendor.

The artist was born in Bastrop, Texas, in 1911. The son of tenant farmers, he was one of the first Mexican-American artists to gain national fame. Although the family soon moved to San Antonio--where his father became a railroad worker--Salinas often returned to the Bastrop area to visit his grandmother and to sketch.

In 1926, José Arpa founded a plein air painting school near Bandera, Texas, where he was assisted by his nephew and fellow artist, Xavier Gonzalez. It is likely Salinas was part of the Bandera School, and was exposed to the entries in the San Antonio Competitive Exhibitions held at the Witte Museum annually from 1927 through 1929. The initial exhibition focusing on Texas wildflowers, with its $6,000 in prize monies offered by Luling, Texas, oilman Edgar B. Davis firmly chiseled in the budding artist's mind the obsession of Texans with their native flora. (After Julian Onderdonk, no Texas artist is more identified with Texas bluebonnets.) By 1930 Salinas began to paint on his own in an Impressionistic style, using fairly heavy impasto to depict the Texas landscape, genre scenes from around San Antonio, and Mexican bullfights.

Married in 1942 and drafted into the U.S. Army the following year for World War II service, Salinas used his talents to create paintings for officers and officers' clubs during his service. By the late 1940s, and largely through the efforts of colorful Austin art dealer Dewey Bradford, Salinas's career began to soar. When Lyndon B. Johnson became Vice-President of the United States in 1961, followed by his elevation to the Presidency due to the assassination of President Kennedy, Salinas's paintings were featured prominently, first in the vice-president's residence, then in The White House. President Johnson spoke frequently about his favorite painter and the demand for Salinas's paintings increased. Fittingly, Salinas died only a few months after President Johnson in 1973.

In retrospect, Porfirio Salinas's legacy manifests as much more than a collection of beautiful Texan landscapes. His work symbolizes his resilience, his affinity for his native land, and his remarkable impact on the sentiments of the American people inspired through his art. The legacy of Porfirio Salinas continues to serve as a testament to his talent, his dedication to his craft, and his love for Texas. That the President of the United States sought to celebrate his work bears testimony to his enduring mark on not just Texan, but American art history.


More information about Porfirio Salinas. See also: Salinas, Porfirio Artist.



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