View of City Rooftops in Winter 1902

Robert Julian Onderdonk made this wintery cityscape with oil on canvas. I can almost feel him building up the layers, struggling to capture the gloom of a cold day. It’s kind of claustrophobic. I wonder if he was cooped up inside, gazing out a window, trying to find something beautiful in the ordinary. I can relate to that. Look at the way the snow sits heavy on the rooftops, thick strokes of white, mirroring the muted tones of the sky. He's not trying to pretty things up; there's a realness to it. Painters like Fairfield Porter come to mind, artists who found poetry in everyday scenes. And that smoke curling up from the chimneys - it’s almost like the city itself is breathing. I find it so moving how artists can speak to one another across time through their work.