Panoramic Landscape 

Robert Julian Onderdonk made this oil on canvas painting, Panoramic Landscape, during his time in Texas. The painting’s all-encompassing view of the state’s famous bluebonnets evokes ideas about national identity and regional pride. Onderdonk was born in Texas, but trained in New York. He returned to Texas in 1909 and began depicting its landscape in earnest. The bluebonnet became a symbol of Texas in the early 20th century, used to promote tourism and celebrate the state’s natural beauty. Onderdonk played a role in this popularization, and his paintings helped to shape the image of Texas as a land of open spaces and natural wonders. The social conditions that shape artistic production are always complex and this painting begs the question of the use of art by institutions. To understand this painting, one should investigate the history of tourism, state fairs, and marketing strategies that use imagery to construct regional identity.