Road to the Hills

A dusty road curves gently through the Texas Hill Country in this 1915 painting by Julian Onderdonk. Born in San Antonio, Onderdonk earned the nickname "father of Texas painting" for his devotion to the landscapes of his home state. He learned his craft in New York under the celebrated American Impressionist William Merritt Chase, and that training shows in the loose, lively brushwork and the shimmering play of light across the ground here.

The charm of this scene lies in how plain it is. Oak trees, tangles of scrubby brush, a cluster of prickly pear cactus tucked into the lower right, and a broad blue sky dotted with soft clouds are all that fill the canvas, yet Onderdonk found endless interest in these ordinary corners of the countryside around San Antonio. He returned to such views throughout his career, which was cut short when he died in 1922 at only forty-six. His work did a great deal to show people beyond Texas just how beautiful the state could be.

Following the road with your eyes, it seems to lead off toward the far hills under a warm, quiet afternoon sky. The mood is calm and unhurried, a gentle tribute to the beauty hiding in an everyday patch of land.