Landscape 

Robert Julian Onderdonk made this landscape painting with oil paint on canvas. This was a classic combination of materials and techniques by the time that Onderdonk was working. Notice how the texture and color of the paint is used to create a sense of depth and atmosphere in the scene. The brushstrokes are loose and expressive, especially in the foliage, giving the painting a sense of spontaneity. The visible brushwork is not only a marker of the artist's hand but also stands in stark contrast to a highly-finished academic style. Onderdonk was surely aware of this contrast, as it had already been developed by the Impressionists. But it has a different charge here, in an American context; less about urban modernity, and more about an unpretentious engagement with nature. Paying attention to the materials and how they're handled allows us to appreciate the skill and artistry involved in making this landscape. It challenges us to reconsider traditional distinctions between high art and craft.