Onderdonk, Julian

Julian Onderdonk is sometimes referred to as “Texas’s greatest artist,” or as “the old master of Texas.” Onderdonk’s father, also a successful artist, was Julian’s first instructor, though he would study in New York, with William Merritt Chase (among others), and Chase would be a profound influence on the young artist. Onderdonk married and returned to his native San Antonio where the bluebonnets called to him. Still, other seasons showed Onderdonk different moods. Autumn Nights is muted and mysterious. The few green trees across the water look back to summer, but winter is written in the sky.